Behind the Story of the Boy Who Lived: 1st year
by lanya-celebrian
Summary: It is the year 1971 and James Potter has finally reached Hogwarts. It's only his first year and he's already faced with challenges, rivals, and even friendship problems? James has a feeling of forboding,is something to happen to their friendship later on?
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

Lanya's note: I've moved my account and my story here ! This story is completely about the story of the four Mischief-Makers in the year 1971 their first year at Hogwarts. James is who I base the story around, I hope you all enjoy it :D! Most of the characters (94.6% of them) in this story are owned and are copyrighted of Jo Rowling! These character do _not_ belong to me.

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Chapter 1: The Beginning

Summer was once again coming and going. It was another cloudless day, but the September winds seemed to be blowing through more often than the weeks before; it was the first day of the last week in August. The day seemed perfect, but it wasn't as perfect as it should have been for an 11-year-old boy by the name of James Potter.

James sat outside of his house leaning against what seemed to be an old elm tree; his arms were relaxed behind his head. His gentle hazel eyes stared out from behind his glasses into the horizon while the wind swept over him every so often. The wind would breeze through his hair causing it to grow messier than it was. Oddly enough, his hair was already naturally messy, and it stuck up from the back. His attire seemed quite different from what you would usually see in your neighborhood. Not only was his attire different, but also was his family.

James' family belonged to a long line of wizards and witches; both of his parents were of these. Since his parents were both full wizard and witch this made him what everyone called a 'pure blood.' James didn't even bother with this thought. To him, he didn't really care who or what he was, but he just wanted to enjoy what he had. His family was quite fortunate for they were quite rich.

He looked quite dazed as he continued to look at the sky. Something was amiss in his heart; he didn't know what this feeling was. Nothing too dramatic had happened to him, but he felt abandoned, this wasn't the first time he experienced this feeling. The night before was much worse, the dream he had received gave him a bone chilling feeling. There was an agonizing scream of someone that seemed very dear to him, a strange and evil laughter of betrayal, then a sudden flash of green light, and finally that eerie aching feeling from deep within his heart. It felt so real that it haunted him while he was awake. Did it mean something important? Something he should know or be aware of?

"James!"

The boy shrugged and rumpled his black hair making it stick up even more.

"What's up mum?" he said lazily. "I didn't hex the toilet if that's what you're asking."

"No—" his mother began, but just realized what James meant. "You did _what_ to the toilet?!"

"I was trying to make it flush automatically…" He mumbled to himself, "…Is it my fault I have nothing to do?"

His mother walked toward him, she didn't look angry nor did she look extremely happy. Her black hair was tied back with a barrette, and she wore a nice white blouse with a black skirt and deep red tie. She looked like a professor of some sort especially because of her stern and strict expression as she approached her son. When she finally reached James her stern expression faded and a small smile pressed on to her face.

"Always at it aren't you James? I'll deal with what you did to the toilet later." She said sternly to her son, "Now, shouldn't you be at Diagon Alley collecting your items? I gave you the money this morning; you should have gotten them by now! We've already been to Diagon Alley so don't make the excuse that you don't know how to get there. You have been bugging me all last year that when you were to go to Diagon Alley you wanted to go alone!"

"What's the point?" James said solemnly stretching his arms carelessly.

"W—What's the point?" she stared at her son quite surprised, "You've been so excited about going to Hogwarts for the past 3 years! What do you mean what's the point!?"

"Didn't you see it, mum?" James exclaimed.

The boy stood up from where he sat and shoved his hand into his front pocket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment, he then unfolded it and handed it to his mother. She took it into her hands and read through it a few times; she didn't seem to see anything wrong with the introduction letter nor the list of books and items. After reading it through the fourth time she looked up at James, her face rather puzzled.

"Well, did you see it?" James asked rumpling his hair again.

"Actually, I didn't see anything wrong with it."

James stared at her rather stunned. He quickly grabbed the parchment and skimmed through it then pointed harshly to a sentence at the bottom of the letter. It read:

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS.

His mother merely smiled at her son who was now fuming with rage. If James wasn't allowed to have a broomstick this meant that he couldn't play the famous sport of Quidditch that year. Apparently you had to be in your second year to play, or you would have to reserve for a spot to try out the next year. Either way, James wanted to play Quidditch this year; he didn't want to wait another whole year to do it! He sighed hopelessly messing with his hair some more.

"James, I'm sure you'll at least get to see them play it." She said patting her son on the head gently.

"_See_ it? That's nothing compared to _playing_ it!" he wailed practically pulling his hair from his head.

"Don't worry, you'll have a chance on a broom. They're just going to teach you the basics; like how to fly." She said again, this time trying to calm James down.

As soon as James had quieted, his mother had to drag him into the house. Their living room was none like you would ever see in a regular house, it was extremely magical and full of life. The pictures that hung on the walls moved in their frames and their whole left wall was full of strange and interesting books that seemed quite alive and breathing. James had grown up in this environment so it was only obvious that he didn't find any of these things strange.

The two of them continued passed the living room and toward an old fireplace. James's mother reached up from a nearby shelf and pulled down a small box filled with grayish sand or powder. James unmistakably knew that it was none other than floo powder, how else could James quickly get to Diagon Alley?

"Well off you go." She said tossing the powder into the fireplace. "I'll come pick you up at eight o'clock sharp, understand? Meet me at Leaky Cauldron."

The fireplace was suddenly filled with greenish flames that were burning quite brightly and rather strongly. James simply walked into the fireplace and mumbled the words "Diagon Alley" and the green flames enveloped him.

"Don't get into trouble, and hopefully nothing wrong happens…" his mother whispered to herself. "With that mysterious mass muggle murderer around these days anywhere is unsafe."

Within seconds, James had disappeared completely.

James was no longer standing in the middle of green flames; instead he was now standing in the middle of another fireplace in some other house. He didn't take any time to get out of that fireplace for there were people staring at him and waiting for him to step out. Transportation by floo powder was probably the one James hated the most since it often made his head spin afterward. It would also give him a strange sensation all over his body and it often disturbed him.

He pulled out the folded parchment to see the list of items he need, the first thing on the list were his attire for his uniform. As he skimmed down the list he thought to himself that there was no other place to get such items except Diagon Alley; it was the best place for everything you needed for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

As he walked out of the house, which he had just transported from, he entered a rather large street full of people. James was pretty much just a small boy in a really large crowd and at times it became too squishy for him to even get to where he needed to go. When he seemed to be at a fairly decent resting spot away from the crowd, he finally got a chance to take a look at his list of items again.

"Hmm… Let's see…" James mumbled to himself as he read the things he need for the uniform. "Three sets of black plain work robes… One black plain pointed hat… One pair of protected gloves, the dragon hide kind… and lastly one black winter cloak. Black seems to be a trend here…"

"Did you just say my name?" asked a rather charming voice.

James quickly spun around; he was quite surprised by the sudden voice. When he turned to where the voice came from he came face to face with another young boy who looked about his age. This boy looks extremely good-looking and he had black eyes and dark hair, which fell to his eyes. This boy seemed quite well to do because of the fact that he wore really nice clothes and seemed rather mature. For some odd reason, James felt some sort of immediate connection with this stranger and wanted to get to know him. Apparently the boy was thinking the same thing since he seemed to be embarrassed now.

"I—I don't think I said your name." James sputtered. He was quite in awe at how handsome this stranger was. What was his secret to looking so good? "Unless of course your name is Dragon Hide."

The other boy seemed laughed a bit then extended his hand in an act of friendship.

"No, of course not!" the boy said smiling, "You didn't happen to have said 'black' did you? Well, the name's Sirius, Sirius Black."

They shook hands with each other, both smiling widely.

"I'm James Potter. Pleasure to meet you Black." He said cheerfully.

The two seemed quite comfortable talking amongst themselves that before they knew it 20 minutes had passed. It only seemed like a few seconds when James realized that if he didn't get going he wouldn't be able to meet up with his mother in time.

"Well, it was nice meeting you." James said sighing, "I've got to get a few things before I meet up with me mum. You wouldn't know the name of the shop where I can buy a uniform, would you?"

"I believe it was called, _Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions."_ Black replied thinking about it for a second, "I'll see you around then."

About two hours passed and James nearly got everything on the list that he needed to get for Hogwarts. He checked over the list again to see if he missed anything and found that he had collected everything for his uniform, all his course books, and all of the other equipment except his wand and an animal of some sort. He knew that his mother was expecting him to buy an owl and so he entered a shop called _Magical Menagerie_.

Upon entering, he could tell that this was definitely a place to buy just what he wanted because of the fact that there were shelves upon shelves of owls lined up. James looked at each one of them and picked the one he found the best. He finally chose an owl that had gray feathers and glowing amber eyes; he named it Cinder.

He shrugged; he had to carry everything he had just bought. He was holding bag upon bag of items and he wished more that someone was there to help him carry the large load. With all his stuff weighing down on him, he struggled to the famous wand shop, _Ollivanders_. When the shop finally came into view it looked quite tiny and rather shabby looking. When he had finally entered the shop, he nearly dropped everything in his hands, including Cinder. With a last effort of strength, James heaved all that could fit onto the chair in one of the corners and everything else at the base of it. Apparently it was quite empty except for the front desk and the chair James had left his things on.

"Good afternoon." Said a soft voice. James had had enough people startling him that day and he wasn't that taken by surprise by the sudden appearance of someone in the room.

There was an old man standing in front of him now. The man had wide, pale eyes that looked like shining moons that loomed over him. James felt quite uncomfortable with this old man, who he presumed to be Mr. Ollivander himself, staring at him, but said nothing.

"You must be James Potter, am I right?" the man said softly. James merely nodded in return. "Why yes, shall I see what kind of wand would suit you? Let me measure you. Oh don't worry about you're things, just leave them there. I'll get someone to bring them to Leaky Cauldron for you."

Mr. Ollivander measured James through and through; nearly every single angle on his body was measured! James found this rather strange, but he then realized that he met stranger people so he continued to remain silent.

"So, Mr. Potter, let's see what kind—" Mr. Ollivander was cut short in his sentence when James mumbled something under his voice. "Hm?"

"I was… thinking of mahogany." James mumbled, his voice cracking.

"Mahogany? Why, Mr. Potter, you do know that the wand is really the one that chooses the wizard, do you not?" Mr. Ollivander said curiously glancing back at James. "But if you prefer mahogany, it wouldn't hurt to try."

The tape measure began to measure James on its own while Mr. Ollivander went to his shelves and pulled out several dozens of boxes all of which said 'mahogany' somewhere on the box. Right when the tape measure finished measuring him, it rolled back up and disappeared behind the counter. Mr. Ollivander approached James again, but this time there was a gigantic pile of long boxes stacked behind him.

"Here we go, all mahogany. Shall we try them all?" said Mr. Ollivander, his round moon shining eyes beaming at James. "It will be mere luck if any of these wands choose you Mr. Potter, but I must say you're the first person to actually request a certain type of wand from me."

James gulped, he felt as though a couple dozen weights and been added to his shoulders. Mr. Ollivander reached for the nearest box and opened it.

"Ahh…" he said pulling out a wand from the box. "Here we go, try this, a mahogany wand, just like you requested. Eleven inches. Pliable."

James took the wand from Mr. Ollivander and felt an oddly warm feeling coming from the wand. Mr. Ollivander stared at James with awe and wonder as he moved the wand downward causing a sudden shimmering light to fill the room. Mr. Ollivander clapped his hands together, "Quite amazing it is, Mr. Potter. It's as though you were destined for that wand. Curious indeed."

James merely smiled, he seemed to really like his new wand, and it was exactly how he wanted it to be. It was perfect! He turned to Mr. Ollivander and couldn't help but smile.

"It's a slightly powerful wand and it's perfect for Transfiguration." Mr. Ollivander said walking up to the counter and jotting a few notes down on a piece of paper. "I can see you like it very much. Ah, if I were you I would like it as well."

When James turned to where he last placed all of his things, he noticed that they were all gone. Since when? James didn't even notice they had disappeared and they were in the same room!

"Don't worry, your things have already been sent to Leaky Cauldron. You will just need to ask the front desk for them." Mr. Ollivander said walking out of the empty room and into one of the back rooms. James was rather excited; he walked toward the counter and placed some money upon it.

He then slipped his new wand into his back pocket and walked out of the shabby shop. In an instant, James knew that there was something terribly wrong happening. The street he was currently standing on was almost nearly deserted and he had a strange feeling that there was a fight occurring somewhere nearby. There were still people walking a by happily, but they didn't notice anything strange going on. James could feel it. His terrible sense for adventure over took his conscience and he was dead set on finding out about what was going on. He first asked a very beautiful looking witch who was sitting down drinking some sort of liquid.

"Excuse me," James said, "I was wondering if there was something going on cause the streets aren't usually this empty."

The witch merely smiled at him.

"I saw a group of wizards taking a small boy down that way. The boy was wailing as screaming for help, undoubtedly no one helped him of course. I feel sorry for the boy, usually you don't want to get caught up in a group of wizards like that. That's why the streets are deserted." She said in a wispy voice.

After taking in this information, James said his thanks to the witch and started toward the place she had just pointed to him. As he continued forward, he realized that this was leading to the infamous place Knockturn Alley. It was the place most people wanted to avoid; James on the other hand found it rather interesting to explore though. His mother would be so mad at him if he were to set one foot into the place, but he just had to find out if the kid was okay.

As he continued to pass the old shops, he was suddenly yanked from behind harshly and pulled into an extremely small alleyway. Out of instinct, after watching his father do it so many times, James pulled out his wand and pointed it in the direction whoever had just yanked him.

"H—hey! Watch where you point that thing!" said a familiar voice. It was the boy he had met earlier on, it was Sirius Black. James was somewhat surprised again by Black's sudden appearance. He once again pocketed his wand and looked up at Black his expression quite skeptical.

"Didn't you realize there was no one on the streets? You could be an easy target for them!" whispered Black looking around cautiously. "If you don't want to get caught by them you shouldn't walk on the open streets, mate."

"Who's _them_ exactly, Black?"

Sirius Black seemed to look rather pale after he asked that.

"I'm currently trying to see what they're up to." James said, "I heard the lot got an innocent boy."

"Innocent boy?!" Black cried color returning to his face, "Why don't they just leave him alone, I'm going to go have a talk with them. I'm sure the kid's a half-blood or something for them to choose to beat him, and you can call me Sirius. Is it alright if I call you James?"

"Sure." James said walking back onto the open street. Sirius followed behind, clutching his wand in his hand. They both knew that they weren't supposed to use their wands, but would if they really had to. They continued to walk, but before they took a sharp turn around a corner, they heard scowling voices from beyond. They silently decided to peer over the corner first before they turned just in case they came face to face with some strange summoned monster.

Just as they peered over they corner, they realize that is wasn't exactly what you would call a group of people for there were only 2 people cloaked in black. The two people were standing in front of the entrance to Knockturn Alley, and there was indeed a wailing boy with them. They were apparently trying to force the boy into Knockturn Alley. James lunged forward; he had to do something to help the boy. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the two people and they swung around, their eyes glaring down at James.

It was apparently a girl and a boy who were torturing the boy and they looked about the age of sixteen or seventeen. This didn't bode well for James; he had just received his wand and these people looked more experienced that he did. The two of them looked at each other and nodded then raised their wands to attack James. He tried to remember any blocking spells that he had read in his father's book, but none of them came to his mind and then Sirius stepped in.

"What did that boy do to you?" Sirius asked, scowling at the two of them.

"Ah… Sirius." said the woman in a soothing voice. "The downfall of the Black family; why do you interfere?"

"You know just as well as I, that the Ministry of Magic is watching you, Bellatrix!" Sirius stated glaring at her.

The woman, Bellatrix, gave a look of hate toward Sirius then merely kicked the whimpering boy whom Sirius and James were trying to save. James and Sirius glared fiercely at the two, of whom Sirius apparently knew.

"Fine then," Bellatrix stated, her eyes looming down on the two children who stood in her way, "but I'll be telling your mum about this. Come on, we're leaving Rodolphus, we can have more fun later with, Sirius."

Bellatrix and Rodolphus left without another word, but they continued to glare harshly at the lot that had just stopped them from having their 'fun'. When they had finally disappeared from sight, Sirius spat in the direction they had just left. James walked up to the shaken boy. He had really blonde hair it looked almost colorless and he was rather small and quite pudgy.

"They're gone, it's alright, and you can stop crying." James said looking down at the boy. The boy stood up, wiped his tears and pretty much hugged James. James was quite taken aback by this but didn't want to exactly push the kid off him. Sirius stood there merely staring at them; he seemed to be enjoying the moment.

"Um… I think you can let go of me…" James said trying to pry the boy off him.

With a final sniff the boy let go, allowing James to breathe again. He was still shaken by whatever Bellatrix and Rodolphus had done to him, but he seemed really thankful to James and Sirius. James on the other hand glanced back at Sirius rather interested.

"You knew them?" James asked.

"Yeah, I knew them. Bellatrix is my cousin." Said Sirius in a disgusted tone. "I wish it weren't so, though. Bad to the core that one, Rodolphus is her partner in crime. Why'd they pick a fight with you anyhow?"

"I—I accidentally ran into them." Said the boy.

"So what's your name?" James asked. The boy seemed really harmless and quite uncomfortable at the moment. "I'm James and this here is Sirius."

"Pleasure." Sirius sighed.

"Well… I'm Peter. Peter Pettigrew."

James found it odd. He had made two friends in one trip in one day! It must have been a record for him because he seemed quite happy with meeting the both of them. James noticed that it was about thirty minutes to eight, but he really wanted to spend time with Peter and Sirius. It would really stink if he only got to talk to them a few times every year in Diagon Alley so he just had to ask them, "Are you two going to Hogwarts?"

"Most definitely." Said Sirius, combing through his hair with his hand.

"Y—yeah." Peter said softly following behind James.

"That's great! I'm going too. What house do you think you'll be in? I'm probably going to be in Gryffindor, me mum and dad were there." James said he was quite ecstatic when he heard they would be going to school with him.

"I'm not sure…" Peter mumbled his head hung to his chest.

"What about you Sirius?"

"Well, almost everyone in my family so far has been in Slytherin." Sirius said in a low voice. "Not that I really _want_ to go there, but if I do, there's nothing I can do."

James and Peter looked at each other, then back at Sirius. It seemed as though, there was much more to learn about Sirius's character and who he really was.

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Cliffy Hangery... I actually don't know _how_ to do cliffhangers, so they kinda suck... Anyways! Please review; give me comments, flames, pointers! Anyone of those is fine cause if I don't I won't post the next chapter ... Till then!


	2. Chapter 2: Voldemort

Author's Note: Chapter 2 coming right at you! And James has already made two friends, I mean come on! It's only the second chapter! btw all characters, etc, belong to JK Rowling! I am not writing to make a profit or anything! I don't wanna be sued !

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**Chapter 2: Voldemort**

Both Sirius and Peter had agreed to see James off and also hang around Leaky Cauldron. Before getting there though, they all agreed that they'd take a few detours. Their first and 'minor' stop they decided to take was to _Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour_.

"Do you have a favorite Quidditch team?" said James reaching over the counter for his ice cream. "Vratsa Vultures are always great to watch!"

"Bulgaria, huh?" Sirius smirked, "I agree, they're really good to watch."

Peter seemed to enjoy just listening in on the conversation, but whenever he was asked to speak he would just say 'I don't know' so they quite asking him very many questions. At certain times Peter would gasps with delight whenever either James or Sirius said or did something quite spectacular. The two seemed to have quite a bit in common, they both liked to make trouble, they were both brave, they both enjoyed Quidditch, and it seemed like they wanted to impress others.

At one point James and Sirius decided to play several small and minor tricks on inanimate objects in the store _Apothecary_, the place where you could buy potions ingredients. They ended up being chased out of the store by the owner for accidentally setting fire to one of the ingredients. A number of kids their age who saw what had happened found it rather funny, and the trio laughed along with them.

By the time they had reached Leaky Cauldron their clothes were all distinctly messed up and each of them had their share of charcoal smudges all over their faces. Several passing people stared, pointed, laughed, and even avoided crossing near them, but they didn't mind at all. They were having the time of their lives and they weren't going to let anyone ruin it for them, everyone except for James's mother, Mrs. Potter.

"James!" she said in surprised, "What happened to you? Oh and who are these two?"

"Uh… Hi mum. This is Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black, I met them while in Diagon Alley." James said rumpling his hair as usual.

"It's nice to meet the both of you. You didn't happen meet up with anyone dangerous did you?" She asked him, her face up in worry.

"If my cousin, Bellatrix, counts then yes."

Mrs. Potter gave a sigh of relief. She was obviously worried about her son, and James was beginning to feel rather embarrassed.

"Well, you seem to be perfectly fine here. I'll go on ahead first so that you three can say your good byes. James you don't mind traveling by floo powder again do you, dear?" Mrs. Potter said nicely to them, ignoring the blunt expression on James's face. She then turned to Sirius and Peter, "I guess I'll see you two at King's Cross. Oh, and James, I've already brought all your things home so you don't need to worry about them!"

She pulled out her wand; waved it a bit and the three-charcoaled faces were cleaned away, and with a loud crack she had disappeared from sight. Peter's mouth remained hanging and he stared at the place where Mrs. Potter had just disappeared. Sirius and James had once again engaged themselves in another conversion.

"Your mum really cares about yah, mate." Sirius said smiling, "I wish I had a mother like that."

"You're mother is just as cool as you are James!" it was the first thing Peter had said in a while, and it startled both Sirius and James to hear his voice again. Peter had a sort of twinkle in his eye when he smiled at Sirius, but when James met eyes with Peter, that painful emptiness in his heart crawled back.

"Um… James?" said Peter looking quite worried and distressed

"You look quite pale." Sirius said taking a closer look at him. James sighed heavily and shook his head. Why did that feeling come back to him again? He tried all this time to forget about it, but it still continued to haunt him.

"It—It's nothing, honest." James lied shuffling his feet. Obviously the two didn't believe a word he said since they were still looking at him with great worry. "Believe me, I just got a chill. It's nothing serious."

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_. Peter blinked and others stared at him. It was completely obvious that the sound was coming from him since there was a flashing light on his shirt that went along with beeping noise. Sirius tried to keep from laughing while James pretended to be inspecting his wand. Peter flushed.

"It's my mum." Said Peter trying to cover the blinking light. "I—I have to get going."

"Alright." Sirius said giving a charming smile, which made a group of girls nearby squeal with delight. "See you on the train."

Peter smiled, waved to the both of them, and walked away. Sirius looked away from Peter to see James staring at him with absolute amazement. Sirius was quite surprised by this and nearly fell over.

"Y—yes?"

"How do you do that?" James asked him, his eyes gleaming.

"Do what?"

Sirius apparently had no clue what he had just done, and he cocked his left eyebrow up. James, on the other hand, crossed his arms.

"How do you make them squeal like that?" James said again his eyes narrowing in suspicion. James knew there had to be some kind of secret to it, there just _had_ to be! James had never seen girls swoon like that before in his life! Was it because he looked so mature? Was it Sirius's hair? His eyes? Clothes?

"You mean… those group of girl over there?" Sirius said pointing to them, once again making them squeal.

James was left without anything to say; he just continued to stare in awe at how good Sirius was with this kind of predicament. He wasn't even trying! James glanced back at the group of girls who were now talking amongst themselves and giggling like crazy. You would have thought that they were on something by the way they jumped up and down, squealed, and clapped their hands.

"Don't mind them." Sirius sighed.

"How can I not?" James replied looking at girls one by one.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey Sirius, you wanna come over my house? I'd love to show you my Quidditch collection!" James said tearing his eyes away from the ladies.

"I'd like that." Sirius nodded, "Anywhere if it gets me away from home."

James cocked his head in a puzzled manner, but Sirius shook his hands in a motion to forget about it. James took his word for it and they left Leaky Cauldron to set off for James's house.

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For the last week of August Sirius and James spent most of their days together, either at the Potter residence or Diagon Alley. The Potters welcomed Sirius quite well the first time he came and he fit in quite well since he would come and stop by for lunch every day that week. Mrs. Potter asked him if his parents minded him coming over so often, but Sirius merely smiled at her and said, "Don't worry about my parents, they're fine."

On the last day, August 31st, Sirius brought all of his stuff that he need for Hogwarts and spent the night there. James and Sirius were becoming extremely great friends with one another and everyone who saw them together could tell, always laughing, playing pranks, wasting there time at the Quidditch shop, and often times reading books at the house.

"Hear this James!" Sirius exclaimed reading through the book Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by _Newt Scamander_, "A werewolf turns into a murderous beast every full moon! It would be exciting to meet one don't ya think?"

"Exciting, but we'd probably be running for our lives!" James laughed. "I think fighting a dragon would be more exciting."

"Which kind? They have…ten different species of dragon." Sirius said looking through it, "Knowing you, mate, you'd probably go for the Hungarian Horntail and say 'Come and get me!' am I right?"

"You know me all too well."

They continued to look through their schoolbooks when Mrs. Potter rushed in. Both Sirius and James were quite startled by this and they rammed their heads into one another. When they looked at her, Mrs. Potter was as pale as snow.

"Hey… mum, you alright?" James asked walking over to her, still rubbing his head. "You look horrible!"

"Stay inside today, both of you." Mrs. Potter panted, "I'm so glad you didn't go to Diagon Alley yet."

"Why, did something happen?" Sirius asked his voice seeming quite concerned.

"There's been another attack," she began, her face in pure horror, "fifteen muggles were found near Leaky Cauldron, dead."

"Fifteen!?" James yelled out, "Did they find who did it?"

"My parents were talking about him yesterday, they called him Voldemort." Sirius told them.

"Voldemort?" James repeated. "Where does that ring a bell?"

"You two don't go saying his name out in the open, understand?" Mrs. Potter exclaimed, "I'm quite sure many people are frightened right now! If you go out there saying it like you do now, people would want to avoid you for sure!"

James and Sirius looked at each other. Who ever this mystery man was, he was causing much havoc and chaos in the Wizarding World as well as the Muggle World. Mrs. Potter left the room silently leaving the boys to wonder; even so, they didn't feel like talking about it. They had a lot on their minds, but James felt as though something extremely heavy had dropped on to his heart. Why was it that this Voldemort character made him feel scared and almost frightened of his name? James didn't want to be afraid of a name like this, nor did he want to tell Sirius about his feeling. He decided to keep it to himself.

The rest of the day went on quite smoothly, James and Sirius continued to look through books and by the end of it all, they had read every single book on their first year list except for A History of Magic by _Bathilda Bagshot_ on which they refused to read. After reading pretty much all day, they decided to take a short break.

"At least we won't have to read these books while were at school." Sirius said before gulping down a glass of pumpkin juice. "It would be a disaster to have so much homework and having to read through them all."

James nodded and drank his glass.

"Hey Sirius…" James said looking down at his feet, "How much do you know about Voldemort?"

Sirius nearly choked on the glass of pumpkin juice and James had to grab a few tissues before he could continue.

"All I know is that he's a dark wizard who wants to destroy all muggle-borns, half-bloods, and muggles." Sirius said wiping his mouth, "I think it's a bogus plan though. You can't exactly kill off all the muggles."

"Yeah, that's true. Without muggles we would have died out." James added. He looked up at Sirius, his face rather serious and he seemed to be debating weather to say it or not. He swallowed, took a deep breath, and said, "You haven't really said much about your family, do you think I could meet them some time?"

"No. I don't think you can, you wouldn't like them anyway."

James looked up at Sirius with wonder; he didn't understand what Sirius was telling him. Surely his family wasn't _that_ bad, what it? Sirius sighed and poured himself another glass of pumpkin juice.

"My mum and dad think that Voldemort's right, and they both favor my younger brother Regulas over me." Sirius said in a low voice. "They all think that Voldemort is doing the right thing. It's absurd!"

James didn't have enough courage to look Sirius straight in the face, and he looked out the window. The room became quite tense and silent after that, they just sat there drinking their pumpkin juice and thinking to themselves. It continued on like this until supper was served to them and all their worries were washed away by the grumble in their stomachs.

By the time supper was over, both James and Sirius had completely forgotten about all that they had talked about previously. Instead, they were now talking about Quidditch once again. The two of them were in James's room looking through papers and books all containing to the topic of Quidditch. It wasn't the only Quidditch related thing in the room, all four walls were covered in Quidditch posters, and it was quite apparent to all that James had a huge obsession with the sport.

"I wish I could get one of them Nimbus broom sticks." James sighed looking at and article in the paper '_The Daily Prophet_' that said, "Newest of New!" it featured a rather slick looking broom that was marked 'Nimbus 1001'. Sirius looked over James's shoulder at what James was talking about and smirked, it was the greatest broom to date and every Quidditch fan would give anything to get it!

"Don't drool too much." Sirius said, "The text might smudge."

They both laughed in unison and continued to look through the _Prophet_. Mr. and Mrs. Potter entered the room while James and Sirius were testing a few small charms and they immediately had to stop. James had to explain to his parents that they weren't doing anything too rash, while Sirius was chuckling under his breath.

"You two should head to bed," Mr. Potter smiled looking at the two boys, "you need to be ready for the train. Remember, it leaves at exactly eleven o'clock!"

James kissed his parents goodnight and they left the room. He and Sirius quickly got changed in their sleepwear and put away all of their things. James then rushed toward the mattress that was set on the floor and lied down. Sirius stared and he seemed to hesitate quite a bit.

"Your not making me sleep on your bed, are you?" Sirius asked looking at James on the floor and the empty bed. "This is _your_ house, not mine. You have a right to the bed!"

James didn't move he just merely snuggled up on the mattress on the ground. Sirius blinked.

"I've been wanting to sleep on the floor." James said cheerfully poking his head out of the blanket. "My mum doesn't want me to, and I've begged her a few times. With you here, I can make up the alibi to my mum. Your not going to take this privilege away from me, are you?"

Sirius laughed. James seemed rather convincing since Sirius jumped onto the bed and pulled the sheets on top of him.

"That was a pile of rubbish you just said, mate!" Sirius exclaimed. "I could tell!"

"Really now? Am I just that bad at acting?" James replied pulling the blanket over his head. "I thought it absolutely was fool proof."

"Unfortunately for you I am not a fool." Sirius said laughing. "G'nite to ya, James, stupid git."

"Yeah, good night."

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**TO BE CONTINUED**

I always wanted to say that

You will review... You_ will_ review... you _will_ give Lanya comments... and flames... and pointers... _you will_... **I _ORDER _YOU TO BWUAHAAHAHHA!!** is currently in Dark Lord Voldemort Mode


	3. Chapter 3: Hogwarts

Author's Note: Another Chapter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!! Anyways... Read on.... Please!

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**Chapter 3: Hogwarts**

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The following morning, James and Sirius woke up bright and early, got dressed, and went down stairs. It was only eight o'clock in the morning and they were already ready to leave for the train. The two of them sat down at the table and ate breakfast in silence; the air was tense and James's parents could really feel their mood. The two were absolutely excited about going to Hogwarts. Apparently James was ecstatic to go with Sirius for they had now become best friends. His parents also noticed that James would only go to Hogwarts if Sirius went with him.

"When are we leaving?" the two asked in unison.

"Erm… An hour before eleven." Mr. Potter said.

That meant a whole hour of waiting. They both shrugged; there wasn't really anything that they could do for an hour. They had already read all of their required books for school that year and Diagon Alley was completely out of the question. The only thing they could do was sit around and wait for the hour to pass.

James sat alone in the living room staring at the enchanted clock that hung on their wall. It was times like these that he wished he could control time. He could always try tampering with the clock, but on the other hand, he didn't know if his parents had put some sort of counter spell on it.

Sirius entered the room from the kitchen, and he kicked back on one of the couches in the corners. James shifted his position to look at Sirius; the handsome chap had his feet on the footstool and he seemed rather smug lying there. James frowned, Sirius was so handsome, and as much as he wished to be like Sirius, the wish would never come true. He rumpled his hair and glanced back at the clock; only five minutes had passed since he last looked at it. He continued to stare.

"Hey James." Sirius said aloud stretching his arms. It was like James was in some sort of trance because he didn't answer Sirius. "James…? James! HEY JAMES!"

James jumped up in surprise and turned to Sirius who had a look of disbelief implanted on his face.

"Sorry… The clock was entertaining me."

"Is that so?" Sirius said standing up, inspecting the clock closely. "Enchanted clock, is it not? This wouldn't happen to be the one that toys with your mind if you stare at it, would it?"

James shrugged his shoulders; he wasn't in the mood for jokes. Sirius sighed and put his hand to his forehead, they were both bored beyond what all could expect.

"Want to hex something?" James asked looking hopeful.

"We've done that."

The two of them began to think of more things to do to keep them occupied.

"How about reading through the _Daily Prophet_?" Sirius suggested. "Have your parents gotten today's issue yet?"

"I'll go check."

James ran out of the room and a few minutes later came back running in with the paper in his hand. He seemed extremely excited about something, and Sirius couldn't even tell what was on his mind. James hopped onto the couch, causing his glasses to slip to the tip of his nose, and flipped the newspaper open.

"You look happy." James smirked, sitting on the armrest of the couch and peering over to see the newspaper. "Ah… I see."

On the front page there was a picture of a man wearing half moon glasses, he had a long crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. He also wore a purple tall, pointy-tipped hat and cloak to match with it. The title of the article stated, _The "Greatest Headmaster Hogwarts Has Seen to Date!"_

"Dumbledore…" said James reading through the article. "Didn't he defeat that dark wizard Grindelwald?"

"Yeah, he's pretty old now. See look at his hair!" Sirius pointed out. "That was way back in 1945, I believe."

"Yeah, I saw it on one of the Chocolate Frog Cards." James said turning the page. "Oh look, the Ministry of Magic is referring to that muggle-hater, Voldemort, as '_he-who-must-not-be-named._' Who in the right mind would call him that? Sounds ridiculous if you ask me!"

Sirius nodded in agreement as they continued to look through the newspaper. By the time the two of them had finished reading the _Prophet_ it was about time they left. Mrs. Potter walked into the room and hugged them both.

"Your father is already outside, James. You two better gather your things outside, and no spell casting, you got that?! Nothing in front of muggles!" she told them both.

They agreed without complaint and went up to get their things. The two of them had to keep from stumbling over since they both had their suitcases to carry and their owls. When they finally got outside, James's father was already getting their car ready for the trip to King's Cross.

The car that they had was the latest model at the time, but it seemed quite small to seat four people and their luggage, so Mrs. Potter decided to stay at home. She waved to them all and they set off.

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By the time they reached King's Cross it was exactly fifteen minutes till eleven. James and Sirius wasted no time in getting out of the car and finding themselves a trolley to put their things on. They quickly filled their trolleys and nearly ran in the direction of their platform. Mr. Potter shrugged, those two were just so anxious to get on the train.

"Hey dad, what platform again?" James asked glancing around.

"Nine and three quarters." He replied directing them. "Over there, just run right through the middle. The wall you see there is actually a barrier."

The two of them looked at it with awe.

"Hey I'll go first!" James exclaimed readying himself to slowly run through. "Be sure to watch the expert, Sirius."

"I won't be surprised if you miss the barrier, mate." Sirius called back to him.

James pushed the trolley at a walk, and then he went at a running pace. Sirius watched from behind as his best friend disappeared into the wall. He found it strange that muggles could not see this happening right under their noses. By the time Sirius had got through the barrier, James had their old mate, Peter Pettigrew, tagging around him.

"Oh, Sirius!" Peter exclaimed walking over to him, his eyes full of joy that his two friends had finally shown up. Sirius smiled at Peter then walked over to James who apparently looked extremely white.

"P—Peter…" James mumbled taking a deep breathe in, "next time don't stand in front of the barrier… I nearly killed you!"

Peter nodded, his face turning slightly pink. Sirius laughed and patted James on the shoulder. Right when Mr. Potter had rushed in he urged the boys to get on the train, for the three of them had nearly forgotten about the time. He quickly helped the boys get their luggage into the compartments at the back of the Hogwarts Express.

"James, I don't want to hear from your professors about you hexing any toilets, got that?" Mr. Potter said waving. James grinned, waved back at this father, and then hopped onto the train. The two others also followed behind him; all three of them carried their owls with them.

Upon getting on the train, it began to move. The three decided it would be best to find an empty compartment to settle in. Unfortunately for them, it was extremely hard to find and empty compartment at this time; several of them were half full and wouldn't be able to seat the three of them. James kept suggesting to them that they could stay together in the half-full compartments and he'd just go and find another, but the two wouldn't allow him to.

After what seemed like forever, the trio came upon an open compartment. They poked their heads inside to see that there was only a boy seated, looking out the window.

"Erm… Excuse us, is any one else sitting here?" James asked walking inside.

The boy had light brown hair and he wore very shabby looking wizard's robes. He didn't look very happy when the three of them had appeared before him, but he looked quite taken aback and nervous. He sighed, shook his head, and looked out the window again.

The trio abruptly walked in, trying not to ram into one another and sat down. Sirius chose to sit next to the boy, while James and Peter chose to sit opposite of them. It was kind of awkward for them to talk since they didn't want to really disturb the boy.

"So," James said, trying to start conversation. "What's your name?"

The boy tore his gaze from the sky and looked at James with a bit of happiness in his sad eyes and replied in a calm voice, "Remus Lupin, and you are?"

"James Potter, pleasure meeting you!"

"Sirius Black, at your service."

"P—Peter Pettigrew, nice to meet you."

For some reason James felt like wanting to know more about Lupin. They were all equally interested in learning about one another and it rapidly turned into and enjoyable conversation. Lupin's gloomy eyes seemed to become brighter with joy as the conversation grew. James noticed it instantly, and he wanted to the keep the conversation going because of it.

It was about half past twelve when there was a loud clattering heard out in the corridor and a woman slid back their door pushing a rather large cart. "So anyone want something?" she asked, happily smiling at them.

James quickly stood up and walked into the corridor to see what they had. When he reentered, his arms were full of treats and snacks that both Sirius and Lupin had to get up and make sure he didn't fall over. When he finally sat in his seat, he spread all of the food in between Peter and him and took a bite out of one of the licorice wands. Continuing to chew he mumbled, "I boughth enouff fer everyone to share!"

Sirius, Peter, and Lupin all grabbed a bit of everything at James got and happily ate with not much to worry about.

"So Lupin, do you mind if we call you Remus?" James asked looking at him hopefully. He once again rumpled his hair; he was hoping that Lupin would join their small group.

"Oh. Well… why not?" he replied taking a bite into one of the pumpkin pastries. "I've never had any real friends before."

Peter shrugged. Apparently the yellow-headed boy could relate to what Remus was telling them. Sirius on the other hand patted him on the back and grinned, "Well you've got some friends now."

As the Hogwarts Express neared to its destination, the four of them continued to wait with anticipation. Remus had told them about that sorting and they soon began to worry if they'd be separated. James didn't want his friends to be in opposing houses; it would make them rivals for that house winner at the end of the year. Remus began to grow weary, Sirius was beginning to grumble to himself, and Peter had begun whimpering again. James could definitely see himself as a Gryffindor, Remus as a Ravenclaw, Peter in Hufflepuff, and Sirius in Slytherin because of his background. It was so unfair! They all sighed hopelessly trying their best to finish the food.

What seemed like only a few seconds, a voice flooded through the train saying, "We have just reached Hogwarts, please leave you luggage here and it will be taken to school separately." The whistle blew and the wheels of the train came to a creaking stop. The four of them stood up from where they sat, and silently walked out of their compartment and into the corridor with very little hope. They all watched several other people cheerfully walk through the corridor and out the door.

"I heard first years have to ride boats there." Peter said to them as they jumped off the train and on to the hard ground.

"Boats?" James repeated glancing toward Peter. "Wanna fall in the water on purpose?"

"You can, mate." Sirius said chuckling. "But you'd be freezing when you got out."

"What if I wanted to stay in the water or maybe swim to Hogwarts?" James suggested, thinking that Sirius wouldn't be able to come up with a really good come back. Sirius thought about it for a second and shrugged.

"You can't that Giant Squid would put you back in the boat." Said Remus smiling.

"Sushi sounds good." James said grinning.

Peter couldn't stop laughing; James, Sirius, and Remus didn't really think it was _that_ funny. Sirius who got slightly annoyed by Peter's spontaneous laughter was almost yelled at him to shut up, but both Remus and James were able to stop him in time.

"Firs' years!" yelled a deep voice. "Over this way! C'mon follow me… Tha's right. The name's Hagrid and we be seeing a good view o' Hogwarts in a minute now."

There was a sudden gasp of amazement from all the students. James looked around in wonder; it looked like an extremely grand castle, which was perched on a high mountain, its windows sparkling in the starry sky. It was way better than James had ever imagined it to be, and he was glad to be here. People were stumbling and slipping down the narrow path to the great black lake that was up ahead.

"Four to a boat! Yeh all right?" Hagrid asked looking at Peter who looked extremely shaken. Peter stared in horror at Hagrid, who happened to be extremely tall and large, and hid behind James.

"He's fine." Sirius said slowly walking into one of the empty boats. Remus got into the boat next while James had trouble getting Peter to stop clinging to him and was forced to throw Peter into the boat. After Peter had finally seated himself properly, James stepped in too and seated himself comfortably.

"Everyone got a boat?" shouted Hagrid, "Right, well then—FORWARD!"

All of the boats moved in unison, they glided across the lake with ease. Everyone was silent except James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter who were busy making comments about the castle itself.

"Absolutely amazing!" Remus remarked looking around at the landscape.

"Bloody brilliant!" James exclaimed looking at the castle.

"I'm beginning to like it here already." Sirius smirked, crossing his arms.

"There wouldn't be anything here that could hurt us… would there?" Peter whimpered glancing in every direction. He was apparently the only one who wasn't really enjoying himself.

"Careful now, a bi' o' ivy growin from above. Mind yer heads." Hagrid exclaimed ducking his head to avoid one of the ivy vines from the entrance of a tunnel, which seemed to lead right under Hogwarts. They continued to sail within the dark tunnel until they reached a sort of under ground harbor. All of the first years jumped out of their boats and walked out on the rocks and pebbles. They then struggled up a flight of stone steps and they all bunched up around a rather large oak door.

Hagrid, who was in front of the group of shivering students, merely knocked on the door three times and it swung open.

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Wee... thanks for reading if you read this far!! Reviews would be most appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4: Gryffindor

Author's Note: Chapter 4 ! I must thank the first person to flame my work ! But if you're going to flame me, at least give me the reason _why_ it was stupid. Because it would be very helpful to me. Anyways! Any Comments and pointers are most needed, thanks! I don't own most of the characters in this story, but the Sorting Hat's song was created by me and with the help of Miaku-Astradah! Thankies! I must give credit where credit is due, right? Also the name "Dorian Gray" is from both _League of Extraordinary Gentleman_ and **_"The Picture of Dorian Gray"_** by Oscar Wilde.**

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**Chapter 4: Gryffindor**

In the doorway stood a tall, black-haired witch, in emerald- green robes, who had a very stern look on her face. She looked quite young probably in her late-forties. The group of first years looked at her with great hesitation. Peter once again began to feel scared, and clung to Sirius this time. Sirius had to pry him off in order for him to be able to follow the witch who was leading the way.

"Welcome first years, I'm Professor McGonagall." She said sternly walking through the entrance hall, "Thank you Hagrid. Now all of you follow me!"

The rather large group of children followed Professor McGonagall across the cold stone floor and to a small empty chamber off the hall. Everyone gathered in and squeezed together uncomfortably. Several of the other students rammed into both James and Sirius, and Peter was constantly stepping on Remus' feet.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." Spoke Professor McGonagall in a clear voice. "The start-of-term banquet is about to begin, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. You shall be sorted in front of the whole school, of course, so you better smarten up as much as you can while you're waiting."

James and Sirius groaned glancing back at each other.

"The Sorting Ceremony is extremely important because while you're here, your house will become something like a family to you here at Hogwarts. You will take classes with the rest of your house, sleep your house dormitories, and spend your free time in your house common rooms.

"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. You will gain house points for your house from your successes and you will loose them for any kind of rule breaking you are to do on school grounds. (James snickered at the remark.) The House with the most points at the end of the year will be awarded the house cup, a great honor."

The group of students looked at Professor McGonagall worried, and several of the students began trying to make themselves look presentable. Professor McGonagall on the other hand glanced around at the students and laid her eyes on James for a second, then said, "I shall return when we are ready for you." And she strode off.

Several of the students began to panic; most of them didn't know what they were to do next. James sighed hopelessly and eased his nerves by starting a conversation with Remus and Sirius. Remus seemed strangely calm about the whole sorting thing, and it made both Sirius and James envy him greatly. Unsurprisingly, Peter was once again shaking with fright and nervousness that he was clinging to Remus' arm.

"Well good luck then." James said glancing at each one of them.

"DON'T LEAVE ME!" Peter cried letting go of Remus and jumping to hug James. Unfortunately for Peter (and fortunately for James), he had accidentally miss coordinated where he was to land and accident found himself clutching to another young lad's arm who happened to be standing right next to James.

"Urk!" cried the lad; he was quite startled. "You clumsy fool! Get off me! I said get OFF!"

Peter was flung to the floor and James, Sirius, and Remus were the first people on the scene. The surrounding first years that saw what happened surrounded the scene and were gasping and pointing fingers. Remus and James helped Peter to his feet and they looked relentlessly at the young lad whom Peter accidentally clung to.

"Sorry about Peter," James said looking at him. "He gets a little nervous at times."

The lad was round-shouldered and had a hooked nose, which could be apparent to most everyone. His dark hair looked quite greasy and lanky from the angle they stood from. The lad's eyes narrowed in a despised fashion at the lot of them; Sirius in return glowered back at the lad.

"If he belongs to you, keep him away from me." Said the lad turning away.

Both James and Sirius sneered at the boy from behind his back then turned to Remus and Peter. Peter was rather shaken and Remus was trying to calm him down. They sighed hopelessly again. Sirius still seemed quite steamed by how the young lad acted toward them, but tried his very best to forget about it. The sorting process was the one that everyone had to focus on.

A few seconds later, Professor McGonagall appeared before them, her expression as stern as ever.

"All right, make a straight line and follow me." She told them leading them out of the chamber and into the hall way again. The four of them lined up at the very end of this line: Peter first, then Remus, followed by James, and finally Sirius. Each of them was extremely nervous, but they had their own ways of hiding it.

Professor McGonagall led the first years to a large pair of double doors, and when she pushed it open, the first years found themselves in a massive room that was lit by thousands of candles that were just floating in midair. Bellow the candles were four long tables occupied by none other than the rest of the students. Upon the tables were empty gold and silver plates and goblets that shined luminously under the candlelight. The ceiling was what most intrigued James and he found himself staring up it for a time; the ceiling was enchanted to look like the sky outside. _So this was the Great Hall_, James thought glancing around curiously.

They came to a stop not far in front of what seemed to be another long table where the teachers sat. Dumbledore was also seated in the very center of this long table. The first years watched as Professor McGonagall placed before them a four-legged stool and upon it an extremely dirty, battered, and old wizard's hat. Everything quieted and everyone stared at this strange hat.

Suddenly the hat began to move, the rip in the brim of the hat opened liked a mouth and it began to sing:

_"Long ago was when I was created_

_I was as new one a can be!_

_Not patched, not frayed, not battered up _

_For the founders enchanted me._

_Each one of them bearing different skills_

_ and different points of views._

_They wish for certain traits to be carried within each different house_

_So hopefully you've got a clear mind_

_For I can see all your thoughts!_

_For I am the Sorting Hat, you see, and it's my job to do it all._

_You may see yourself in Gryffindor where the brave of heart reside._

_Maybe Ravenclaw for those wise and wit full enough._

_It is quite possible to be sorted into Hufflepuff for the kind and trust worthy ones._

_Or rather a Slytherin you will be, they're cunning and will do much to achieve what they want._

_So don't be afraid and try me on_

_I won't bite you as long as you don't squirm_

_So just sit on the stool and put me on_

_And I shall sort you as I see fit!"_

As soon as the Sorting Hat's song ended, there was a roaring applause from the students.

"I don't want that thing on my head!" James muttered to Sirius.

"It's not like it'll ruin your hair, I mean, look at it." Sirius whispered back to him looking up.

James's hair, "You're hair's already a mess."

James frowned, but couldn't help but smile when Sirius gave him a haughty grin. They both looked toward Professor McGonagall when the hall finally fell silent again. She then stood forward and held out a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name you will put the hat on and sit on the stool to be sorted." She exclaimed. "Woodsman, Jonathan!"

A boy who looked much older than eleven walked up to the stool, took the hat, sat down, and put it on. Everyone stared and waited for the hat's decision, there was a pause —

"RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.

The second table to the left cheered and clapped their hands as Jonathan happily went to sit down at the Ravenclaw table. Several see-through people, who James realized were ghosts, walked through the wall and into the Great Hall. Several of the first years yelped at the sight of them, but Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter merely ignored it; they were too caught up in where they were going to be sorted.

"Finduilas, Sabriel!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

Sabriel smiled joyously and rushed over to the Hufflepuff table.

"Cresent, Raven!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The table that inhabited the far left cheered exceptionally loud and they welcomed Raven with open arms. She looked awfully happy on being the first person sorted in Gryffindor.

"Artsmathea, Arden" then became a Slytherin, she seemed very cocky and stuck up, James knew that she definitely wasn't someone to trust. Actually, none of the Slytherins looked trust worthy at all; they really looked mean and evil. "Rita, Sibyl" also joined Arden at the Slytherin table.

"Chilperic, Alexander" was a small kid who looked too young, and was quickly sorted into Hufflepuff. James wondered if the boy was even eleven years of age.

"Snape, Severus!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed.

The young lad who had pushed Peter to the floor eagerly walked toward the stool and put the hat on his head. Dumbledore, who was also watching, watched Snape with kind eyes.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat yelled out.

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter glanced back each other; no wonder the lad was so sour toward them. He had the qualities of a Slytherin! Though, James worried about Sirius, would he really be put in Slytherin? It made them all wonder, and Sirius began to grow rather uneasy.

"Evans, Lily!"

The girl had dark red hair the fell to her shoulders and she had the most startling almond-shaped eyes one has ever seen. James cocked his head to watch her place the Sorting Hat on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Another loud cheer erupted, and Sirius whispered, "She looks really smart, yah think she'll be a threat to our reputation?" James laughed softly to himself as he continued to watch the sorting take place.

"Gray, Dorian!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

James watched and waited in anticipation of both himself and his friends' names to be called and then—

"Potter, James!"

James was rather startled by his sudden name being called and he looked up at the sorting hat and gulped. As he walked up to the stool, he heard Remus and Sirius whisper "Good luck!" to him, but he knew that this task wasn't that hard. The only thing he had to do was put the hat on and what happened next, happened next. There was really nothing he could do about it.

He lifted the ragged Sorting Hat; sat on the stool, and waited for the hat to say what house he would be placed in.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat almost at once.

He removed the hat and placed it back on the stool and looked up to see Peter, Remus, and Sirius clapping their hands and the Gryffindor table cheering him. He rumpled his hair and blushed slightly and walked over to the Gryffindor table to sit down. After sitting down he glance up at the rest of the first years waiting in line.

"Pettigrew, Peter!"

The yellow-headed boy had been shaking like crazy and nearly stumbled over when his name was called. Several students nearby laughed but willingly helped him get to his feet. When he put on the Sorting Hat, he shut his eyes tightly as if to prepare for his doom. There was a longer pause than usual, but it was soon broken when the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Peter gasped when he heard what he had just been sorted into and everyone cheered for him. He hesitantly removed the hat and placed it on the stool again and looked back at the Gryffindor table. Before he was able to take any further steps the poor boy passed out.

James watched as Remus and Sirius sighed hopelessly watching the unconscious Peter lying on the floor. One of the teachers willingly got out of his chair and picked Peter up from the floor. Professor McGonagall sighed and said, "Take him to see Poppy, will you?" The teacher disappeared out of the Great Hall and everyone reverted their attention back at the Sorting Hat.

Even if Peter had fainted, James was quite glad he had one out of three in his house so far. He anxiously waited for their names to be called. There was "Indigo"…, "Barron"…, "Feverberry"… then "Stoneburg"… leaving Remus and Sirius to be the last people.

"Lupin, Remus!"

James noticed that Dumbledore had straightened himself up in his seat and beamed brightly at Remus. Remus apparently caught eyes with Dumbledore for a short second and smiled. He then sat down and put the Sorting Hat on his head. For what seemed like 5 minutes, everyone stared in silence. James had his fingers crossed—

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat yelled and a roar of applause filled the room. James seemed to be screaming the loudest and allowed Remus to sit next to him. Dumbledore smiled gently at both James and Remus.

Sirius was the only one left and James and Remus looked at him; both feeling concerned a worried.

"Black, Sirius!"

There was a hush of whispering that took over the Great Hall. James could make out a few comments from other tables mostly saying, "Slytherin that one, I'm sure of it." And "Another one? We already have that other Black to deal with!" These whispering remarks lowered James's hopes and he began to feel rather irritated. The Slytherin table seemed to be smiling rather haughtily at Sirius and they all seemed extremely confident on where Sirius was to be. Remus had looked away, not wanting to see what house Sirius was to be put in.

Sirius seemed to hesitate and he gave a small glance back at James and Remus before going up to the Sorting Hat. When he had finally sat down on the stool and placed the Sorting Hat on his head, the room tensed. The sorting hat took and extra long time deciding. The students found this odd for the 'other Black' AKA Bellatrix who was in her third year now was chosen for Slytherin almost instantly. After a long while the Sorting Hat finally made it's decision:

"…GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.

There was silence. Even Professor McGonagall was awe struck. The teachers as well stared at Sirius as if he was some sort of strange and unknown creature. Dumbledore was the only one who didn't look surprised. Sirius was quite happy to be in the same house as James, Remus, and Peter, but he then began feel himself flush red, and embarrassed; for no one had clapped for him.

"WHAT?!" screeched a familiarly high toned voice, startling everyone, "That Sorting Hat of yours must be broken! It _must_ be wrong!"

Professor McGonagall who had finally broken from her awe trance turned to the source of the one who spoke out.

"The Sorting Hat is not broken, Ms. Black." Dumbledore said in a calm voice. "If it says your cousin is in Gryffindor, he is in Gryffindor."

Before Bellatrix could say any more, James had stood up from his seat and began clapping his hands as loud as he could and yelling, "Come down from there, Sirius, if no one's going to applaud you, I will!" Dumbledore turned to look at James, nodded, smiled, and clapped his hands as well.

Remus also stood up from his seat and began clapping. Soon enough all the houses, except Slytherin, were cheering for Sirius. Sirius took off the hat, placed it on the stool and walked down to meet James and Remus at the Gryffindor table. It appeared as though Sirius Black had made history within the Black Family, for he was the only one who wasn't sorted into Slytherin.

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	5. Chapter 5: The First Day

**SeCrEt LiLy**** - **Thanks for RR! I really appreciate it ! Oh yeah I forgot to change that! I used to think that Bellatrix was in her seventh year, but I realized that she's really in her 3rd year or somewhere below seventh. Thank you so much for pointing it out!

**marauders-girl-08** - I'm glad you liked my story! Here's the next update!

Author's Note: I didn't think I'd get any reviews XD! Well anyways here's the fifth chapter! Most of the characters belong to JK Rowling and I give her credit for creating the four Mischief-Makers AKA the Marauder Four. She's just sucha great and creative person!

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**Chapter 5: The First Day**

With the sorting out of the way, Sirius walked toward the Gryffindor table and sat next to James. It was really apparent that he was trying to avoid looking at the Slytherin table that was sneering and scowling at him. Bellatrix was glaring fiercely at him, and he as well as several other students could feel the ambiance of her glare.

James gave Sirius a firm handshake and Remus smiled at the both of them. They all tried his best to ignore the glare, but Sirius had an extremely large temptation to glare back at his cousin. He knew that if he were to do glare back, he would have to deal with his family later.

"Yah alright?" James asked looking at Sirius carefully. "That must have been tough on you."

"I'm fine." Sirius lied looking toward Dumbledore who was now standing. Dumbledore looked at everyone and spread his arms wide.

"Ah! Another year begins here at Hogwarts." Dumbledore exclaimed looking at the group of students. "Seeing that this is only my second year as headmaster, I have to say something to you all."

The students listened closely as to what he was to say next, all except Remus, who seemed to be focusing on his empty plate that was laid in front of him.

"Even if I am now Headmaster, it doesn't excuse the fact that I really have nothing to say at all." Dumbledore explained sitting back in his seat. "So, let the feast begin!"

James and Sirius blinked. Dumbledore seemed kind of loose in the head, but didn't mind it very much. Turning back to their table, they found Remus and many of the other students chowing down on assortments of foods. James, who was completely famished, didn't take the time to ask where the food came from and began filling his silver plate with almost everything on the table.

Sure, James and Sirius were extremely hungry, but they both noticed that they weren't as hungry as Remus for the lad was now gulping down his third plate of food, and seemed to be readying himself for a fourth helping.

"You don't look very hungry, Remus." James said sarcastically, adding two slices of roast beef to his plate. Remus' cheeks seemed to turn slightly pink as he continued to chew.

"Sorry, I'm just starving, that's all." Remus replied getting up from his chair to fill his plate again. "I haven't had anything decent to eat in weeks."

Sirius looked up from his plate and gave a questionable look at Remus. James also felt suddenly concerned about Remus' home life, but he didn't want to get into full detail; he just wanted to know a small portion of it at the least. Remus stopped; his expression was rather hesitant as if he had just said something wrong.

"Erm…" Remus hesitated, turning to his two friends, "My family is poor. Uhh… we can't really afford much."

James felt kind of guilty; it must have been rather awkward for Remus to talk about his family that way. Sirius seemed to have also felt the same way for he didn't say anything and just continued to eat.

By the time James had finished his fourth plate, Sirius his third and a half, and Remus his seventh, their bellies were finally satisfied. James stretched upward while Sirius pushed his plate away from him.

"I can't eat another bite!" James groaned putting his head on the table.

Sirius glanced about the table looking at all the scraps. Many of the students looked exhausted and tired, but apparently Remus was awake as ever.

"Hey, mate," Sirius whispered nudging James. "There's still some Yorkshire Pudding left, you sure you don't want to eat anymore?"

James seemed to glare fiercely at Sirius, but sighed in defeat.

"Fine!" He exclaimed standing up and grabbing the container that held the pudding, "If no one wants it, I'll take it. You can't exactly waste good food!"

Remus laughed as James began to pour the rest of the pudding onto his plate. Sirius grinned widely and watched James slowly eat it. The little Potter felt sick after his final bite and he seemed to turn slightly green; he groaned heavily and his eyes began to droop.

"You look tired." Remus stated plainly. James looked at the both of them with eyes to disbelief and he rested his head on the table.

"Yeh over did it, I think." Said Sirius patting him on the back. "Ah! Look here comes Peter!"

James lifted his head lazily from the table and saw Peter sit down across from the three. Peter looked undoubtedly humiliated, but still exceptionally happy.

"We're all in Gryffindor?" Peter asked looking at each of them.

"Obviously." Sirius answered resting his arm on the table. "Though I'm sure my mum going to be quite sour with me for the next seven years. Well, not that she hasn't already, but it'll be much worse, I can tell already."

Sirius had glanced back toward Bellatrix who had finally stopped glaring at him and was now tapping her fork on the table mindlessly. Peter seemed to shiver slightly at the sight of Bellatrix, but he quickly regained himself when he saw James for he had fallen asleep with his forehead pressed against the table. Within a few seconds the desserts and the rest of the food disappeared from the table. Before Peter could actually say anything, Remus motioned with his hands for them to quiet and they all turned to face Dumbledore again. Sirius had to elbow James to get him to sit up and listen.

"Ahem – I have a few brief announcements for all of you now that we are now well fed and watered." He said calmly looking at each table. "A few notices for the first years to know; the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students; no magic between classes in the corridors, words from Mr. Filch the caretaker; Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term and anyone who wants to play should talk to Madam Hooch; and I would also like to mention that there will be a new feature added to the school grounds."

Some of the students began whispering amongst themselves about what this feature might be. James, Sirius, and Peter looked around curiously to see anyone had any idea about it, but unfortunately no one knew a thing about it. Remus continued to remain as calm as usual, and he continued to stare at Dumbledore. He seemed to refuse to look at his friends.

"They're planting it outside just as we speak." Dumbledore spoke out over the large amount of whispering. "Though, it isn't something I would suggest you walk up to and touch."

The great Headmaster looked around at the students, all of which looked extremely exhausted and he decided it would be best to let them out as soon as possible.

"All right, you lot, it is now bed time once again! So off you trot!" he exclaimed. "Prefects, lead the way!"

A young man and a young lady who looked the age of fifteen stood up from the Gryffindor table and the rest of the students followed their lead. Obviously these two were the prefects of the Gryffindor House; there were two of them from each table that lead the way.

James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus followed their prefects, careful not to run into anything or get separated. They walked through a series of marble staircases, hidden doorways behinds hanging tapestries and sliding panels, and even more staircases. By the time they had came to a final halt, all of the students were nearly half asleep. James had been holding on to Remus' shoulder for support just in case he was to fall over.

The lot of them had stopped in front of a portrait of a very fat lady wearing a pink silk dress.

"Password?" the woman in the portrait asked.

"_Flamma Leo_." Said the male prefect in casual voice. The portrait swung forward almost instantly to reveal a round hole in the wall. Everyone scrambled to get inside they all found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, which looked like an extremely cozy circular room full of fluffy looking armchairs.

The female prefect led the girls to a separate tower while the male prefect led the boys to another. Within the tower was a spiral staircase that went upward (_Not another staircase_! They thought to themselves.). James, Peter, Sirius, and Remus found themselves staying in the same room near the very top of the tower. They all noticed that their luggage had already been brought up and each one of them went to find their own personal spots and beds.

James seemed most relieved to see a bed and quickly lied down without changing his clothes. The other three who saw that James had collapsed on his bed began to laugh.

"What?" James asked lifting his head up from the bed.

"Nothing," Sirius said honestly going behind one of the red velvet curtains. "Though you could at least remove your shoes first, mate."

James shrugged, sat up, removed his shoes and socks, and tossed them beside his trunk and lied back down. Sirius, Remus, and Peter had already slipped into their sleepwear and were sitting on their beds.

"I wonder what's being planted on the Hogwarts' grounds." Sirius wondered stroking his chin. "We can't exactly touch it from what Professor Dumbledore told us, so what could it possibly be?"

Remus frowned, he obviously didn't like the topic and tucked himself under his blanket and turned on his back to face the ceiling. James sat up again and thought it would be best to change in to his pajamas, while listening in on the conversation.

"Man-eating plant?" Peter suggested fluffing up his pillow. "It has to be some sort of plant right? Dumbledore did say they were _planting_ it after all."

Sirius and James were rather surprised by Peter's input for they hadn't seen Peter act so well inform before. Not only that, but James found it rather odd that he, himself, didn't catch Dumbledore saying it. Maybe Peter was good at something! _But_ on the other hand, neither Sirius nor James could actually pin point what it was in words.

"Well all we know is that it is a plant, it's on campus, and it isn't really safe to touch." James said aloud taking in all the information that both, Sirius and Peter, had said. "So a Man-eating plant could possibly be—"

"No." Remus said firmly interrupting James' brainstorming.

The three of them looked at each other then back at Remus curiously. James had noticed that Remus was uncomfortable with the topic before, and that he and Dumbledore somehow knew one another, but he had never asked Remus in person if what he thought was true. Peter and Sirius were both lost. Peter hadn't been there when Remus was sorted, and Sirius apparently didn't catch the instance that Dumbledore and Remus had looked toward each other.

"So what do you think it is, Remus?" Peter asked scratching the back of his yellow-head.

"Whomping Willow." He replied, turning so that his back was facing the other three. "Ahh—Dumbledore told me about it."

"I knew it!" James exclaimed hoping onto his bed. "You and Dumbledore acted like you knew each other when you went up to the Sorting Hat."

Remus didn't answer, and the three heard a soft snore coming from his corner. They guessed that Remus was asleep by now and decided that it would be a good idea to head to bed as well and maybe ask him in the morning. James still found it odd that Remus would fall asleep that fast, but if Remus really was asleep, he didn't want to wake him.

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The following morning, it appeared as though the four of them had completely forgotten about their discussion the night before and were more interested in finding where their classes were located. This didn't bother Remus at all; in fact, he appeared to be rather overjoyed that they had forgotten about it.

"What's our first class?" James asked looking at Peter. Peter was actually extremely useful, for he had been the only one listening when their prefects told them about their classes; James, Sirius, and Remus would often look to Peter for what class they had next.

"Herbology." Peter replied cheerfully. "With the head of Hufflepuff."

"Oh, that's right!" Sirius exclaimed, "Wasn't it located behind the castle?"

Peter nodded and the four of them proceeded to their destination. As they walked across the grounds of their school they noticed a rather large group of students gathered around a particular area, and they were all drawn in to see what the fuss was about. When they finally realize what the whole thing was about, Remus seemed to stiffen up.

"Remus you were right!" James said looking at a large tree that was planted atop a small hill. "Let's get a closer look, this _is_ sort of like Herbology, right?"

"Erm… I wouldn't get too close." Remus said to them, "The tree might hit you. It packs a pretty hard punch, I read about it in this one book." Remus had apparently pulled out a rather thick book from his bag that he was currently carrying with him and was about to open it to one of the specific page. Sirius stopped him, closed the book, and said, "It's alright, mate, we don't need the full details."

"Hey! You lot get away from there!" yelled a rather croaky voice. It was Mr. Filch the caretaker and his cat Mrs. Norris. "I'll have you all locked up if you don't scat!"

James and Sirius shrugged disappointedly and walked away from the Whomping Willow, Peter and Remus walking not far behind from them. It appeared as though everyone who was supposed to show up at Herbology was late and was given extra homework from an extremely agitated Professor Sprout.

Herbology was one of the classes the Gryffindors had only several times a week. Astronomy classes took place at midnight every Wednesday, according to Peter.

Charms was the subject Sirius seemed to favor the most, so far, and he seemed rather good at it too. Sirius and James seemed to work on the same level during charms class, but even so a girl, Lily Evans, exceeded their level. This often annoying both James and Sirius, but James didn't seem as angry about it as Sirius did.

"Can you believe her?" Sirius whispered harshly between his friends, "Professor Flitwick favors her the most! He won't even _look_ at anyone else!"

"It's alright, Sirius, it's isn't the end of the world." James yawned flicking his wand lazily causing his book to open.

"_Excellent work!_" squeaked Professor Flitwick to James, "You got it to open! It took me three hours to get that charm to work, and you did it in span of fifteen minutes! Five points to Gryffindor!"

Sirius frowned at James. James rumpled his hair and laughed hesitantly trying to avoid looking at Sirius. Sirius flicked his wand in the same way James did, but just managed to make it jump in the air. Peter had a hard time with charms to begin with, and Professor Flitwick had to continuously run down to help Peter either keep the object from attack him or putting out a fire. By the end of the first charms lesson, Sirius and Remus were finally able to at least open the book one page passed the front cover, but Peter had only managed to turn the book over.

Potions was exceptionally harder for each one of them. James and Sirius would have given up half way through the lesson if it weren't for Snape. Snape had gained an extremely bad reputation among the four boys for his stuck up and annoying attitude. The Gryffindors and the Slytherins had their Potions classes together and this wasn't all that great for Sirius.

"Ahh!" James muttered nearly pulling out his hair, "I can't take this anymore!"

"What, Potter?" sneered Snape from nearby, "Can't get a few ingredients correct?"

"Keep your comments to yourself!" Sirius snapped concentrating on his potion. "Ugly git."

"Stupid and unpopular, too." James added, glaring squarely at Snape. That last comment James made apparently hit Snape rather hard because he didn't say anything to them for the rest of the lesson.

Transfiguration was the next subject they had, and it was with Professor McGonagall, the Head of the Gryffindor House. This was the class James favored most; upon entering the classroom he quickly remembered what Mr. Ollivander had told him. His mahogany wand was perfect for Transfiguration!

Everyone thought that Transfiguration would be a breeze since Professor McGonagall's house was Gryffindor, but they were all sadly mistaken. James was by far the best in Transfiguration class followed by Sirius and Remus, but Peter, unfortunately, was the worst when it came right down to it.

Actually the only subject Peter was able to get straight through the first go was the History of Magic taught by a ghost, Professor Binns. Even if Peter was good at it, it was the most boring class one could have ever taken, and the only thing you really had to do was take notes and listen, which Peter had proven he could do very well.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was the final subject the first years had to worry about, and they wouldn't have it until tomorrow. Remus seemed the most intrigued about DADA classes and the boy was often seen walking around with James, Peter, and Sirius carrying a book, which has something to do with DADA, in his hand in which he read from.

By the end of the day, the four of them were once again tired and worn out. It had been an excruciatingly long day that they had, and tomorrow they guessed would be even longer.

"Hey… Remus you look… different." James said before getting into bed. He couldn't put his finger on it, but Remus really _did_ look different. Sirius and Peter tried to take closer looks to see what it was exactly, but the boy just stuck his head in the book _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection_ by _Quentin Trimble_, not allowing them any closer looks. James guessed that Remus was probably just embarrassed or felt uncomfortable being stared at and so they decided to just leave him be.

James, Sirius, and Peter said their goodnights to Remus and headed to bed. Remus told them that he would just catch up on his nightly reading and head to bed later. Sirius found this rather odd, but didn't question it, and within ten minutes of time the three of them had fallen asleep.

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The following morning, James awoke to a startling squeal and a rather loud bang. He shrugged, rubbed his eyes, and looked around to see Sirius and Peter up and searching around the room for something.

"What's all the fuss about?" he asked getting up from his bed.

"It's Remus!" Peter exclaimed, a terrified horror in his eyes.

"The lad never went to bed last night!" Sirius said slamming his fist against the wall, "He's no where to be found."

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**::TO BE CONTINUED::**

**_Next Chapter: Sirius's Letter_**

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If you are reading this... You have just finished this chapter... You're fast. You're faster than light! I can't even read that fast! I'm like a snail when I read... Please review me! Review this story and if you see anything wrong with it, please tell me!!! Till next update!


	6. Chapter 6: Sirius's Letter

**I'm not the weakest link** - Thanks for your kind word .

Author's Note: Yay! Another chapter! I actually have up to chapter 16 done and ready to post, but I won't post them all at once I'm not done with the fic anyway. Lol! Well You know the disclaimer shtick; JKR you ROCK XD!

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**Chapter 6: Sirius's Letter**

"What do you mean 'he's nowhere to be found'?!" James yelled scrambling to his feet. "You can't just disappear off the face of the planet!"

Peter, who was beginning to shake, nodded in agreement.

"I meant nowhere to be found in this room, yeh git!" Sirius snapped, dressing into his daily attire. "Maybe you should ask around during breakfast."

James blinked.

"_I_ should ask?" He asked concernedly, "What about you?"

"I have to deal with something first."

Sirius had now grabbed his cloak and scuttled out of the room leaving Peter and James bewildered. The both them still wore their pajamas and their hair sticking up every which way; James's hair really didn't look any different from the usual messy style it always had. After dressing, they went out of their room, and hurried down the spiral staircase into the common room.

"Remus!" Peter cried rushing forward.

James looked up to see Lupin and Professor Dumbledore standing before them. James' face lit up and he walked toward them. _As long as he's all right_, James thought to himself he looked at Remus.

"Where've you been?" James asked trying to catch his breath. "We were all worried about you!"

"W—Worried?" Remus repeated, his tone of voice as if not to believe what James had just said.

"Yeah, worried!" James exclaimed glancing up at Dumbledore. The old man beamed brightly at James through his half-moon spectacles and James rumpled his hair again in embarrassment.

"James Potter, am I right?" said Dumbledore in a calm voice. "I was just discussing a few things with your friend, Remus. Remus seems to speak of you, Pettigrew, and Black a lot in our conversations, isn't that correct?"

Remus nodded, his face turning slightly pink. Peter smiled cheerfully at the lot of them while James stared at Dumbledore with much amazement in his eyes.

"I see a lot of promise in the four of you." Dumbledore said again looking around at the three of them. "By the way, where is young Black?"

James had nearly forgotten and he was stunned that he had nearly forgotten Sirius.

"Oh no." James gasped, "Excuse me, will you, Dumbledore, sir. Remus, Peter, we should get going."

James ran out of the common room, followed by both Remus and Peter.

"What's wrong, James? Where's Sirius?" Remus asked as they turned a corner and walked down another marble staircase.

"He said he had to do something important." James answered walking quickly down the stairs, "I'll bet you it has something to do—Peter be careful—something to do with that cousin of his."

Peter had nearly tripped and fallen forward when James caught him just in time. When they had reached the first level, walking in the corridor, they heard some distinct voices from somewhere off the hallway; it was the same empty chamber the first years were put in before Sorting. The three of them instantly recognized one of the voices as Sirius and the other voice they made out to be Bellatrix. James had been correct on his theory.

Upon walking into the chamber both Bellatrix and Sirius had both stopped their argument; Sirius didn't look very pleased to see them there, but Bellatrix looked thrilled.

"Oh look!" She squealed with excitement looking at them. "Your friends are here to save you, Sirius! Are they really your friends? No wonder you're not in Slytherin."

Sirius seemed to wince at the word 'Slytherin' but he continued to glare squarely at his cousin. Bellatrix looked strangely delighted and gestured James, Peter, and Remus to come closer. Sirius, on the other hand, refused to look at the three of them.

"I can read the letter to them too." Bellatrix smirked pulling out a piece of parchment from her pocket.

"No!" Sirius yelled rushing toward Bellatrix in efforts to take the parchment from her.

"Come now, Sirius, you should be more open. They _are_ your friends after all, they have a right to know about your personal life." She sniggered flipping the parchment over to read from it:

"_Sirius, you are a disgrace to the Black Family! You aren't even fit to be called my own son! How could you even consider going into Gryffindor, and breaking the Black Family tradition?! You are _not_ allowed to come home for Christmas you hear me? I want you as far away from this family while your father and I sort things out. Don't expect to see your room the same way you last left it when, or _if,_ you ever set one foot into this house again. You are a horrible example to Regulus! Making friends with those blood traitors, the Potters, RUBISH! YOU HEAR ME?! When you get home at the end of this year do NOT expect very much from me, you insubordinate little brat—"_

"ENOUGH!" Sirius screamed, snatching the paper from Bellatrix and tearing it to pieces. His face had flushed red from anger and James, Peter, and Remus couldn't find anything to say. "Tell that woman that I don't even _want_ set foot into that house!"

Bellatrix's lips curled into a sly grin. The girl seemed very satisfied by Sirius's remark.

"Very well, Sirius." She said swiftly turning to leave. "I'll tell her just that."

When Bellatrix was finally out of sight, Sirius fell to his knees and sighed deeply. James was really worried, but was also concerned about how Sirius felt toward them now that they had learned more about how his family treated him. James also realized exactly why the Black Family supported Voldemort's ways.

After a few minutes of absolute tense silence, Sirius stood up and glanced back the three who were apparently frightened of what he was going to do.

"Erm…" James mumbled, "Sorry."

Peter nodded in agreement to James, and Remus looked to the ground.

"It's all right, mate." Sirius croaked walking toward them. They all noticed that Sirius's face was much paler than usual. "My mum's a pain. So should we head to the Great Hall for breakfast?"

They could see the pain that Sirius held back from behind his eyes, and they didn't want to push the topic any more than Bellatrix had. James realized that Sirius's family wasn't very nice to him, but from what Bellatrix had just said in the letter, it was much worse than he could have ever figured. Peter was quivering in fear, and Remus was still had his eyes to the floor.

James smiled weakly and said, "Yeah, breakfast. That would do us some good."

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The usual routine of class took place after breakfast and they were all too busy to discuss anything other than their studies. Defense Against the Dark Arts that day was the one that peaked most everyone's interest. Remus was, without a doubt, the best in the class with the subject, and he answered all the questions that Professor Flitwick asked with ease. By the end of the lesson, Gryffindor was leading by fifty-seven points.

The Slytherins, who also took DADA classes with the Gryffindors, found Remus's knowledge of Dark Arts rather annoying. It particularly angered Severus Snape, who also seemed to like the class.

"I don't know what Professor Flitwick sees in you." Snape said walking toward Remus at the end of the class.

"If you knew the answer, you should have raised your hand." Replied Remus calmly packing away his books. Sirius and James were nearby, eyeing Snape with every intention to attack if necessary. Seeing that he was outnumbered, Snape decided it would be best to not start anything.

By Friday, the four of them had memorized how to find their way to get to their classes. Seeing that they, as first years, got their Friday afternoons off, there wasn't really much for them to do, except Remus who continued to read.

They were hanging around the Gryffindor common room to spend their time. James was sprawled out on one of the fluffy red couches staring up at the ceiling. Sirius and Peter were playing a game of Wizard's Chess and Peter seemed to be loosing each round they played.

"Shouldn't you be doing that essay for Potions, James?" Remus suggested, turning a page of the book _Hogwarts A History_.

"You mean the one about aconite?" James asked turning toward Remus. "Finished it Hey, did your hair grow longer, Remus?"

"Yeah," Remus said calming, flipping the page, "My hair tends to grow faster than usual."

"Oh! That's what was different about you that one night you went to talk with Dumbledore!"

Remus smiled gently, but kept his eyes on the book. James sat up and walked over to where Sirius and Peter were having their game of chess and looked at the position their pawns were in. From what he saw Sirius looked like he was going to beat Peter again, but quickly noticed a defect in Sirius's strategy.

"Who's turn is it?" James muttered looking at the chessboard.

"Peter's." Sirius replied watching Peter carefully.

"All right then." James replied, and he then ordered the knight to move in another L shape. When the knight had finally moved into it's position, Sirius and Peter realized what James had just done.

"Check mate!" Peter exclaimed. "I won! James, you're the best!"

Sirius frowned; his winning streak had just been cut short. James patted Sirius on the back and said, "Now that you've lost, wanna go exploring?"

"Exploring?" said Sirius with curiosity in his voice. "Explore what?"

James smirked.

"Explore around Hogwarts of course!" he exclaimed causing Remus to look up from him book. "Didn't you notice that Filch somehow pops up where ever you go? I mean he can pop up out of nowhere just like Peeves the Poltergeist!"

"What are you trying to say, mate?" Sirius asked eyeing James in a curious fashion.

"I'm trying to say that, there must be some hidden and unknown passage that we don't know about." He explained to them. "So I'm suggesting that we take a close look around Hogwarts."

"Sounds promising." Remus said walking towards them. "You wouldn't mind if I came along?"

"Of course not! What do yeh say, Sirius?" James asked, "Yeh up for it?"

"I'm in. If you're getting put in detention, I wanna be in there with you." Sirius replied, smirking. "How about your Peter?"

"A—As long as Mr. Filch doesn't catch us doing something we're not supposed to," Peter replied. "I'm all for it!"

James smiled widely. He could already tell that the rest of the year would be a blast, as long as his friends were around.

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**::TO BE CONTINUED::**

**_Next Chapter: Snivellus_**

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If you read the far I bow to you! You have a lot of patience :D! Please Review, that is, if you **_dare_**...


	7. Chapter 7: Snivellus

**marauders-girl-08**** - **I got the next update for you ! Hopefully the next couple chapters will sound okay for yeh.

**Misthea** - I am greatful to you, and I'm glad you like it. Yeah, I'm posting 2 chapters a day because I have up to chapter 16 already finished and ready to post. I think it's better to space out when to post the next chapters. I think it's better than posting all 16 at the same time, right? Nyahahaha... and people can just wait if it's a cliffhanger XD!

**SM together** - Oh you noticed! I'm still unsure of Lily being a "main" character in James' first year. Perhaps when I start writing their second year Lily may become more involved. Right now, I want to revolve around the problem at hand; Remus Lupin. He's a big problem to write at the moment, Lily will make some brief appearances, but I'm not sure their will be any really big JamesxLily scenes at the moment.

**Celebrean** - o.O; You're so brave! You dared ! I have to give you props for doing so. Thank you much!

**Author's Notes:** Thank you for all your wonderful comments! Especially from the anonymous Erere who gave me the first flame I have ever gotten! Good for you :D! Anyways! Here's the seventh installment for this story! JKR rocks and I eat socks! (I suck at poetry...) Anyways none of the characters belong to me except for Raven Crescent who I gladly made up the name out of sheer boredom. MWUAHAHA...ehem... excuse me... Rice Crispy Treats tend to do things to you.

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**Chapter 7: Snivellus**

Weeks passed like seconds to James, and he thought that time was moving faster than it was supposed. It was already the second week of term and as usual they were still plotting to do no good. The four of them had been sneaking around during breaks, desperate to find any sort of secret passage. They weren't as lucky as they had hoped because they had found nothing but bathrooms. Peter was the only one grateful in finding all the possible bathrooms at Hogwarts, and he made Sirius laugh at the thought of it.

"There's gotta be some kind of secret to it!" James stammered, that afternoon during study hall. "If old Filch can do it, so can we."

The four lay outside under a shady oak tree. It reminded James of home for it resembled the old oak tree he had in his yard. This spot had easily been claimed by the four of them because during each break they had they'd do their work out there rather than in there common room.

"If we ever want a chance at finding some sort of secret passage, we'd need to rid ourselves of Filch, become invisible, or search Hogwarts in the dead of night!" Sirius exclaimed combing the right side of his head with his hand. "Any ideas?"

"Well we can't exactly get rid of Filch," said Remus, finally closing the book he held in his hands. "Invisibility _is_ quite possible though."

"That's right!" James yelled smacking his hand to his head, "I remember now, my father has an invisibility cloak!"

"Why didn't you say so to begin with?!" Sirius retorted scratching his head in frustration.

"I never really thought about it." James replied rumpling his hair, his eyes wandering over to where a group of girls sat nearby. "And plus it's a hand-me-down kind of thing. My dad said he'll give it to me when I'm ready."

"Tell him you're ready now!"

James shrugged and looked down at Peter who had his attention elsewhere.

"Peter, help me out here." James sighed hopelessly. "Tell Sirius to stop being to demanding…"

Peter blinked, turned to Sirius, and repeated exactly what James had said. Remus coughed in amusement and pulled out another book from his bag. James stared; what he had told Peter to do was nothing but a figure of speech. Sirius found this rather interesting and thought he could toy around with it.

"Peter, do you mind telling James that his father is a very giving person and would do absolutely anything for him?"

"James, Sirius said that your father is a very giving person and would do absolutely anything for you." Repeated Peter, looking at James cheerfully.

Remus had put his head in his book to hide his laughter, and James smiled worriedly at Peter. Sirius found this rather humorous and decided to toy with it even more.

"Oh yes, Peter please tell yourself to finish your homework and brush your teeth, okay?"

"Peter finish your and brush your—"

Peter stopped midway through his sentence and felt himself turn red. Remus had his book against his face and you could hear the muffled laugh coming from him. Peter mumbled, "I do brush my teeth…" to himself, but Sirius patted him on the head and told him that he was just kidding. James had found it cruel, but also very amusing and smiled at the two of them.

"The bell should be ringing any moment now." James said suddenly, looking toward Remus, "What class do we have next?"

"Flying class with Madam Hooch." Said Remus in reply.

"YES!" James exclaimed jumping up. "I can't wait, I'm definitely going to apply for a position in Quidditch! What do you think I should apply for?"

"Beater." Said Sirius snickering. "I can imagine you swinging that club at everyone!"

James stared at Sirius in disbelief. Could Sirius _really_ see him throwing around a club at everyone? Sirius laughed at James' reaction and took it as a joke.

"I think you should be a seeker." Replied Remus who had obviously thought about it a bit; "It seems like a perfect position for you."

James blushed feverishly from the comment and thanked Remus gratefully. "What about you Peter?" he asked trying to keep from letting the attention get to his head.

"Chaser!" Peter exclaimed smiling widely. "You'd be a great one!"

James smiled kindly at Peter. At least he knew what Quidditch was! James had worried that he would have to tell Peter what the game was exactly about, but it appeared as though someone had already 'educated' him on that subject.

"Chaser, huh?" James whispered to himself, then said aloud: "I'll give seeker and chaser a shot!"

Sirius seemed to shrug in disappointment and it was now apparent that Sirius _really_ thought that James would make a great beater.

A loud ringing sound flooded through and it signaled that break had finally ended. James stretched his arms lazily and walked off with his friends following behind him. When they reached the grounds for their first flying lessons, Madam Hooch welcomed them and told them to wait by one of the broomsticks the laid motionless on the ground. James quickly noticed that they were the first people to their class.

"Where are the rest of them?" Madam Hooch retorted glancing around. "I don't have very much patience! You lot, you're from Gryffindor are you not? Five point awarded to Gryffindor then."

James nodded quite proudly and gave a grin toward Sirius, Remus, and Peter. It had been nearly fifteen minutes before the rest of them showed up and Madam Hooch gave them a brief lecture about being late to class.

Severus Snape happened to be the very last person to show up and Madam Hooch gave him an extra long lecture compared to the others. Sirius chuckled watching Snape look completely humiliated.

"Okay, now that we're all here we can finally begin." Madam Hooch said turning away from Snape to face the rest of her class. "Now that you've your brooms, stick your right hand over it and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" everyone shouted to their brooms.

Both James and Sirius got their brooms in their hands on the first get go, but many people had to say it a few times before it actually came into their hands. Peter's, on the other hand, wouldn't move at all. Frustrated that his broom wouldn't move, he quickly picked his broom up from the floor when no one else was looking. James gave Peter a thumbs up in order to keep him from looking too suspiciously nervous.

"Oh you've finally got it, have you?" said Madam Hooch to Peter, "Excellent. Now I'll teach to mount your brooms."

Madam Hooch was quite impressed with James for he seemed to have no problem at all and she commented him whenever she happened to pass by. This wasn't any surprise to Sirius because he already knew how much James loved Quidditch over all.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," explained Madam Hooch, "Remember to keep steady, rise up a few feet, then come straight down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle—three—two—one!"

Madam Hooch's whistle blew and students began soaring through the air. It was no surprise at all that James was the first one to finish and he landed with ease; it was like he'd been flying for all of his life the way kicked off and landed. Severus was the second person to land, but he didn't land with as much grace as James did for he nearly tripped over his broom.

"The rest of you, come down now!" Madam Hooch yelled out at the students who, apparently, were trying to find out how to make their brooms descend. "Lean forward! Remember to lean forward slightly!"

One by one the students began descending to the ground with small thuds. Several of the students fell backwards when they landed and they lied there for a few seconds before standing up. Remus and Sirius had landed with rather hard thuds for right when their brooms were near the ground they just hopped off and fell easily to the floor. James applauded them courteously and Sirius frowned; Sirius and Remus didn't think that they did any good compared to what James did.

Practically all of the students were on the ground except Peter. The poor boy was too frightened to land and he was trembling with fear at the height he was at; Peter had flown much too high for his comfort.

"Boy! Come down, there's nothing to be afraid of!" Madam Hooch yelled out to him. "Just lean forward slightly—that's it—keep doing that. Oh dear!"

Peter had lost his grip and was now holding on for dear life to the broom. His legs dangled helplessly and the students looked up in horror as the broom began to ascend instead of descend. In a matter of seconds, Peter became nothing but a dot in the sky!

"Give me one of your brooms, I'll get him—hold on there! Wait!" Madam Hooch shrieked; James had kicked off again and was zooming into the sky toward Peter.

"James, you reckless idiot!" Sirius yelled. He then turned his head to see Snape chuckling to himself and Sirius yelled: "Hey, shut your trap, yeh ugly git!"

Soon enough James became a dot in the sky as well, and he glanced frantically around for Peter, James had lost sight of his yellow-headed friend behind a low cloud.

"Peter!" James called out.

"HELP ME!" shrieked Peter from not too far away. James quickly followed the sound of his voice and saw that Peter's broom had finally stopped ascending. The poor boy was still dangling from his broom and James quickly zoomed next to him to make sure he didn't fall. James understood that this was excruciatingly dangerous, but he pushed that thought away from his brain. The important thing to him was saving both of their lives.

"All right Peter?" said James loudly. "Here give me your hand and I'll help you back onto your broom."

Peter muffled a whimper and hastily moved his hand toward James'. James grabbed Peter's wrist and had to fly slightly higher to actually pull the boy upward. By the time Peter was finally on his broom, James was exhausted. Peter seemed to still be trembling, but he wasn't trembling as much since James was there.

"Okay, now just follow my lead." James huffed, trying to catch his breath and gripping his broom firmly. "Hold onto your broom like this…Great! Alright, now tilt your broom slightly forward."

Peter's face lit up when his broom began to descend slowly and yelled out, "James! James! _I'm doing it_!"

James smiled gratefully and followed close behind Peter just incase he was to loose control again. When they had finally reached the ground, Peter wasn't trembling any more and he seemed very happy with himself. James on the other hand fell over from exhaustion when he landed.

"Hey, mate!" said Sirius briskly looking down at James.

James grinned widely while Remus and Sirius helped him back to his feet. Peter was ever so grateful to James and repeatedly thanked him.

At that moment, the bell rang out loudly ending their flying lessons with Madam Hooch.

"Lessons are over for today! Oh and you, Potter, I need a word." Madam Hooch said sternly to James. "You lot, go on! Move it!"

Sirius felt like an animal being driven away by the way Madam Hooch told him, Remus, and Peter to leave. They trudged forward, periodically looking back at James in worry. By the time the three of them were out of sight, James felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Excellent flying." Madam Hooch said sternly eyeing James' windswept hair. "Like Quidditch, do you?"

James nodded; he had a feeling where this conversation was going next.

"I'll put you down on the list of players for next year." She began, "You can start playing without having to try out for a position. What do you say?"

"That would be great!" James exclaimed his voice perked up, "Can I be… erm… a chaser?"

"Chaser? I'll talk to Professor McGonagall about it." She said smiling. "Off you go."

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"A chaser?" Sirius repeated, cocking his head sideways, "I swore you'd go for seeker!"

Peter seemed to be thrilled that James had taken his advice and Remus and Sirius couldn't blame him either. They were sitting under the tree again; enjoying their break while it lasted.

"That was amazing flying work!" exclaimed a perky voice from behind. They looked to see Raven Crescent standing there smiling up at them. "Thanks to you we're way ahead in points! I can't believe Professor McGonagall awarded 50 points for what you did!"

"Fifty?" James asked his face in disbelief.

"Yeah!" she squealed excitedly. "Thanks! Well, I need to get going. Bye!"

She happily walked away leaving the four of them. James lay on his back looking up at the sky; Sirius had his back against the tree staring out at the people who passed by; Remus, as usual, was reading another large book; and Peter sat there poking at the grass. They knew that supper was quite soon and they decided to relax a bit before going down to the Great Hall. By the time Remus had finished skimming through his book, James had jumped up onto his feet.

"I'm starved, shall we go down now?" said James coolly, his stomach grumbling loudly.

"Sure thing—What does _he_ want?" Sirius scowled watching Snape walking towards them with a sour face, his hair flopping.

"Your cousin wants to talk to you, Black." Snape said sourly.

James and Sirius looked at each other in concern.

"Since when were you Bellatrix's henchman?" Sirius glared harshly.

"I am not your cousin's henchman, Black, she forced me to get you."

"Stop referring her as my cousin!" Sirius stammered. "Fine, I'll meet you guys in a bit."

Sirius walked away, and James noticed that he pulled out his wand just in case. James was about to follow when Snape stepped in front of him.

"Just because you can fly a broom doesn't mean anything, Potter." Snape spat causing James to have to step backwards.

"Let's go James…" Remus whispered softly pushing Peter toward the Great Hall. Peter on the other hand, wanted to stay and see if James and Snape would start something.

"Just because you always end up second best doesn't mean anything either, _Snivellus_." James sneered back.

The two of them seemed to glare at each other harshly and the aura they gave off made everything tense up. Remus felt an urge to separate the two of them, but he didn't wish to get on James' bad side.

By the time Sirius had returned, James and Snape were pointing their wands at each other. Peter stared with excitement in his eyes at James, but Remus was watching with concern. When James saw Sirius, he quickly pocketed his wand and walked over to him, ignoring Snape completely. Snape glared harshly at the both of them, and his face in complete loathing, he then dashed off without anything more to say.

"What's his problem?" Sirius asked looking over at Snape. "Oh—Don't worry, Bellatrix didn't do anything. She just gave me another letter from my mum."

James sighed in relief and signaled Remus and Peter that they were leaving.

"It's only the second week of term and you've already made yourself an enemy." Remus said coolly walking ahead of them. "Just make sure you don't get expelled because of him."

"What a pain." Sirius retorted combing through his hair.

"Oh! James what did you call him?" Peter asked trying to remember.

"Snivellus," James replied awkwardly, "_Why?_ Isn't that his name?"

Remus and Sirius burst into a fit of laughter, and James frowned in embarrassment.

"His name is _Severus_ Snape." Remus said correcting him.

"That's a great one, mate!" Sirius smirked. "Snivellus, huh? Oddly enough, it seems to fit a person like him perfectly!"

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**::TO BE CONTINUED **(annoying isn't it?)**::**

**_Next Chapter: Halloween_**

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How am I doing so far? Is the story all right? Is everyone cool with it...? Or is it just plain weird? If you have the answers to any of these questions please add them to the review you were just about to give me! You _were_ going to give me a review... _right?_ If not, I'll send my stuffed plushie version of Scabbers to haunt you in the dead of night. Though of course, I don't think Scabbers will listen to me since I tend to torture him every now and then for making Sirius suffer... and all that... stuffies...


	8. Chapter 8: Halloween

**jimithang** - I wouldn't say the story is _well_ written because of the fact that I don't outline my fics nor do I organize what is to happen in the story. I just type down all the junk that's in my head and edit it XD! I'm glad the story suits you well; hopefully the future chapters will be all right.

**Author's Note:** Are you sick of my author's notes yet? Well anyhow, here's the eighth installment! I'll post chapter 9 a bit later, but I'll keep it here for now. I must warn you that this chapter may become strange, confusing, weird, or what what, but you'll just have to deal with it for now. Forgive me wannabee writing skills .! Oh, yes, the disclaimer! JKR owns most of the characters in the story; Jo Rowling who happens to also be JKR also owns some of the plot to this fic as well; JK Rowling, who happens to be both JKR and Jo Rowling, also owns the setting of this fic. So JKR, Jo Rowling, and JKR are the same person! It took me a while to realize that. .

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****Chapter 8: Halloween**

Indeed, time was passing much too fast for James, and by now the day of Halloween would start in less than five hours. There was something really bugging him this evening, and he wasn't feeling the spirit of Halloween because of it. He was currently the only one in the common room because he had gone ahead, leaving Sirius, Remus, and Peter in the Great Hall to finish eating. _That sound…_ James thought to himself. _There _must_ be something behind that painting I saw…_

Earlier that day, James had apparently walked in the wrong direction and came upon a strange painting of a bowl of fruit. He had never seen the painting before and he swore he heard voices coming from behind it—dozens of voices. It had been bugging him the entire day, and he wasn't able to tell any of his friends because where ever they went, there were people with open mouths and ears ready for the latest gossip.

James sighed and rumpled his hair; he was beginning to grow tired of waiting for them. _Maybe I should have stayed with them and waited…_ he thought, his mind blaming him for being so eager. He made up his mind and walked toward the door, right when he did so, it shot open and a large amount of students came clambering in nearly running him over.

"Oh sorry, Potter!" said Lily Evans nearly knocking James over. She then walked away with Raven tagging along behind her.

"Hey, mate, what did you want to talk to us about?" asked a familiar voice. Sirius had walked through the doorway to see James looking back at Lily. James quickly looked away and hastily pulled Remus and Peter inside the common room.

"I think I found something." James whispered to them, he glanced around to see if there was no one listening in and then he continued, "Tomorrow would be a perfect time to check it out!"

"During the Halloween Feast?" Peter whimpered slightly, "B—But we'll miss the food!"

"This better not be another bathroom." Sirius yawned stretching his arms. "Well, I'm heading to the dormitories now... see you in the morning."

"H—Hold on, just a second." Remus interrupted and everyone glanced at Remus curiously. They could see the lines of worry in his face and they became concerned with what he had to say. "I have something important to do with Hagrid tomorrow night. Professor Dumbledore asked me to help him out, so do you mind going there without me?"

James furrowed his brow looked at Remus disappointedly.

"Well…All right." Said James sadly. "But exactly what are you going to do?"

"I—erm—promised to help transfer the pumpkins to the feast." Remus told them hesitantly. James noticed that Remus was beginning to grow nervous, but didn't want to question it.

"We'll help you out then, right James?" Sirius exclaimed smiling, "Five's better than two, right mate?"

"No!" Remus yelled out, "I mean, I can do it on my own. Dumbledore said that they just needed one more person."

James, Sirius, and Peter looked at each other warily, but Remus insisted that it was all right.

"Well, if you say so." James shrugged, rumpling his hair.

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The following day, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter awoke bright and early for Halloween. The four of them got dressed and went down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Remus…" said Peter looking at him carefully, "Did your hair grow again?"

Remus smiled lightly at Peter and nodded. James, who was walking behind them, quickly got behind Remus started messing around with his hair. It seemed to be slightly hairier than the usual hair Remus wore every day, and James found it rather humorous.

"H—Hey!" Remus yelped ducking, trying to avoid James from messing around with his hair even more. James laughed and Remus couldn't help but laugh along with him.

Sirius, who was walking in front of them, lazily had his arm behind his head and walked without much care. The way he moved about was most relevant to the movements of a dog who had nothing else to do but roam around.

James found this a perfect opportunity to gang up on Sirius, and he whispered his plan to Remus allowing the laughter to cease. Sirius who had been listening the whole time became quite concerned when his friends had stopped talking and slowly turned around to see James and Remus about to take him down. He stared wide-eyed for a second, like a puppy staring at a car that was about to run it over, then quickly tried to get away. But James, who had always wanted to mess Sirius's hair up, wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by.

"James!" Sirius screamed out. "What's the point in doing this?!"

The point, my good friend, is your hair will become messy!" James explained, grabbing Sirius' cloak and scrambling for his head. "Much like mine, you see?"

Sirius had obviously given up because he stopped running and sighed hopelessly.

"What is today 'Look Like James Potter Day' or something?" said Sirius sarcastically.

"It's Halloween!" James retorted, clasping his hands together, "And we're going to that secret passage tonight!"

Sirius smirked, grabbed James' glasses and looked through them to see his reflection, then quickly gave back his glasses. James had hoped that the new hairstyle would create a different appearance for Sirius, and that it would create a less 'attraction' toward the ladies. Unfortunately for him, it didn't do much. His friend still looked like a handsome young lad with a new hairstyle, and it apparently attracted more people to Sirius.

"Ohhh! I love your hair, Black!" squealed a passing girl who was apparently from Hufflepuff.

James shrugged, rumpled his hair, looked up at Sirius, and whispered, "I hate it when you do that…"

Sirius merely snickered at James as they went to sit at the Gryffindor Table in the Great Hall. Peter seemed to really like Sirius' new look and would continuously look at it from time to time. When James had finished his meal, he tried to fix Sirius' hair back to the way it was without him knowing, but he gave up because it became much too hard for him to do.

"All right, Remus?" asked James glancing over at him.

"You look pale, mate." Sirius added.

Remus seemed to be perspiring quite a bit and he hadn't taken a single bite of food since they got there. Not only that, but he also seemed to be breathing rather heavily, but he managed to look up at them, give a weak smile, and say, "Don't worry I'm fine… I—I'm just not hungry."

"You don't look fine…" Peter whispered looked at him in worry.

Remus hadn't been like this before, sure his hair grew a lot over night once and while, but this was much different. Remus looked like he was struggling—almost like struggling to hold something back.

"Oh look! The mail's here!" yelled out Dorian Gray of the Hufflepuff Table.

Sirius didn't look too happy to see the mail, and James understood why soon enough. A large amount of owls fluttered in dropping letters and packages from family members to their children.

James's owl, Cinder along with another owl, had dropped him a small package and fluttered off. Peter had gotten himself a letter from one of his family members and he whimpered as he read through it. Sirius had also gotten a letter, but didn't wish to open nor look at it just yet. Remus was the only one who hadn't gotten anything, and by now, they all had noticed that Remus _never_ got anything in the mail.

"Hey Remus—Are you okay?" James wasn't able to finish his question because he noticed that Remus had closed his eyes and was now breathing rapidly. "Remus?"

Frantically trying to breathe calmly, Remus stood up and struggled to let words come out of his mouth, "I—I need to t—talk with Dumbledore… Y—you guys go on to class without me…"

He ran out of the Great Hall without anything else to say. James, Sirius, and Peter watched Remus disappear into the corridor, their faces full of worry and concern. It wasn't like Remus to do something like that, nonetheless pretend to do something like that.

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They didn't see Remus until after their final class in which the three of them were really glad to see that he didn't look as bad as he had that morning.

"Did I miss any important assignments?" Remus asked smiling at the three of them.

"Just an essay on trolls." Peter replied cheerfully.

Remus gave a sigh of relief and turned toward James who had an abnormally large grin on his face.

"Remus, you wouldn't believe the luck we're in!" he exclaimed pulling each of them to a place where they wouldn't be over heard by anyone. "My dad sent me the invisibility cloak!"

"Oh, really?" Remus laughed, "I'm guessing you're going to use it tonight, am I right?"

"You bet!" Sirius smirked, "Are you sure you can't come along? I'm sure Hagrid won't mind."

Remus frowned; the three took is as 'of course I can't go! Hagrid would be furious with me!' and they didn't push it.

As the Halloween Feast drew closer the sky began to grow darker, and the four of them knew that it would only be a matter of time till they were going to set off.

"Erm… I have to get going now…" Remus told them as they walked down the corridor. "You know—Hagrid wouldn't want me to be late."

They nodded and saw Remus off. Now that he wasn't there anymore, they decided it would be best to visit that painting now. James brought along the invisibility cloak just incase they heard someone coming. Peter clung to James' sleeve as they walked down the passageway James had found the day before, by mistake, and they indeed came across a painting with a bowl of fruit on it.

"This is it," James murmured to them, "listen carefully."

Sirius and Peter pushed their ears against the painting and they did hear the sound of voices coming from behind it. Peter stumbled backwards and stared at the painting.

"What's the matter Peter?" Sirius asked looking down at him. "The voices don't scare you, do they?"

"No…" Peter said softly, "The voices just sound like house-elves."

James smiled widely and said, "If their house-elves we have nothing to worry about! I was just worried if they were teachers."

The three of them looked around at the picture curiously seeing if there was anything that really stood out about the picture.

"So—How do we get in?" Peter asked glancing at Sirius.

"How should I know?" Sirius shrugged and patted down his hair with his hands.

James walked toward it and tried pushing against the painting, but it would budge. Sirius and Peter tried joining in; they tried pulling it, stomping on the floor to find a secret lever, and pushing around the walls around it, but they found nothing. The lot sat on the floor exhausted and disappointed.

"Let's try doing something to the painting itself." James suggested standing up again. He placed his hands on painting and felt around it, first feeling the bowl that held the fruit and then the grapes.

"You don't think it would be the very top of that banana, would it?" Peter suggested looking up, the painting was much taller than them, and if it were the banana, they would need some sort of leverage to get them up there.

James then moved his hand to the pear and kept it there for a few seconds — there was something weird about it. James then moved his hand along the pear slowly, and they heard a small muffled chuckle come from it. The three of them looked at each other and knew that it had something to do with this strange pear.

"Hey James, try scratching it!" said Sirius excitedly. The pear did nothing but sigh slightly when James finished scratching it.

"Why don't you try tickling it?" Peter suggested smiling. James laughed and began tickling the large green pear; this time it began to squirm and chuckle. It then transformed itself into an extremely large green door handle.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" James smirked reaching for the handle and pulling the painting, which was now obviously a door, open.

They clambered into a room, which seemed to be just as enormously large as the Great Hall itself. They stared in awe at the room they had just discovered and saw mounds of glittering brass pots and pans, which lay around the stone walls. There was also a really nice brick fireplace at the other end of the room. Peter was right; the voices were indeed coming from house-elves.

Their large, round eyes stared up at them with delight and honor. James instantly knew where they were and smiled widely at his two friends who were still looking around curiously.

"I can't believe it!" James exclaimed looking down at the many house-elves who were staring up at them.

"Believe what, mate?" Sirius asked glancing at James.

"We've found the _Hogwarts Kitchen_!" he replied back. "So the house-elves are the ones who cook all the food!"

Sirius smiled down at the lot of large circular eyes that stared at them.

"You're great cooks, that's for sure." Sirius told them. The house-elves looked extremely delighted by the comment and pulled James, Sirius, and Peter deeper into the kitchen and allowed them to sit on comfortable chairs by the fireplace. Several of the house-elves also brought them a wonderful meal for them to eat; it consisted of crumpets, pumpkin juice, pumpkin pies, and roast chicken.

After finishing his full he lied back comfortably in his chair and sighed. Sirius and Peter did the same and they all felt like this was the best Halloween they've ever had. Peter had nothing to complain about missing the Halloween Feast, but they knew they should go back up there sooner or later.

"Thanks for the great food!" James exclaimed to them as they walked toward the painting again.

"Come back again!" yelled one of the house-elves causing Peter's face to light up.

"We will, and we'll bring another friend if you don't mind." Said Sirius as he climbed out of the room and into the corridor again.

After closing the door behind them, the green handle transformed back into the pear and it looked like another ordinary painting. They quickly climbed up a marble staircase and through the corridors toward the Great Hall and found that the feast was just about done.

They quickly glanced around the Gryffindor table to see if Remus was sitting down anywhere, but found that he was nowhere to be found. They sat in an empty spot toward the end of the table and pretended to eat some of the food on the table. The Great Hall's decorations were wondrous and live bats flew around carelessly. James, Sirius, and Peter didn't pay much attention to any of it because they were now extremely worried about Remus. Where could he have gone?

"Maybe he's still with Hagrid." James said aloud to them, but Sirius shook his head vigorously.

"Bad luck, mate." He said pointing toward the long table where the teacher sat. Hagrid was sitting at the table smiling happily at the students. This made them grow even more weary and worried, and they decided to ask after the Feast if Hagrid asked Remus to run an errand or something.

Lucky for them, the feast ended in less than five minutes and the students began to file out of the Great Hall. James and Sirius walked toward Hagrid confidently and Peter tagged along behind them.

"Hi Hagrid!" James said cheerfully, trying his best not to look too worried.

"Oh, how are yeh?" replied Hagrid in his deep voice. "What can I do fer yeh?"

"We're great, Hagrid." Sirius lied, folding his arms. "Did you, by any chance, give Remus an extra job to do?"

"Remus? Oh! Yeh mean ol' Lupin?" Hagrid laughed looking at the three of them, "Why, I haven given him nothing to do, and I haven seen 'im all day!"

They stared.

"But Remus told us that he was helping you bring pumpkins into the Great Hall!" Peter exclaimed, worry appearing all over his face.

"Pumpkins? Crikey, do yeh see any o' 'em in here?" Hagrid replied laughing. "Yer kiddin, righ'? No one tol' me to bring pumpkins here! If they did, I'm sure it was some sort o' joke."

James, Sirius, and Peter looked at each other in shock. Had Remus been lying to them? Playing a joke on them? It deffinitly wasn't something they would think Remus Lupin would do.

"It wasn't a joke," said voice from nearby. They all looked to see Professor Dumbledore smiling at them. "Don't worry about Lupin, there were some changes in plans, and he had to do some things for me. I never got a chance to tell you, Hagrid, to bring the pumpkins into the Great Hall."

James, Sirius, and Peter felt like their worries about Remus had left them and they became less aware. Even so, something was troubling James, he felt as though there was much more to it than what Dumbledore was saying… James shook his head; _Professor Dumbledore wouldn't lie to us…_

"I assure you, you'll see Lupin in the morning." Said Dumbledore calmly.

James looked deeply into Dumbledore's eyes and he felt like there was much more than meets the eye. There must be something that they were telling them, but what? _He wouldn't lie to us…_ James reassured himself but he suddenly felt a rush of doubt run over him,_ …would he?_

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**::To be or not to be, that is the question::**

**_Next Chapter: The Problem_** (dun dun dun!)

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Howdy doo to you too! I'm excruciatingly hyper at the moment so don't mind the stupidity of it all. Anyways! I'm too lazy to threaten the lot of you to review this fanfic, so instead I'll just send you my pet dancing chicken to peck at your brains until you comment/review/flame! He'll be outside of your house in about 15 minutes or so. Just wait for him :D!

(note: the dancing chicken that has just been mentioned was killed by a farmer about two seconds after you read this note and it was sadly sold to the farmer market for profit and gain. I on the other hand, am morning over the loss of my good friend... I never even got to say goodbye. ;-;)


	9. Chapter 9: The Problem dun dun dun!

**Misthea** - Thanks! I try to make my stories as realistic/stupid/weird as possible .

**Celebrean** - ;-; I know... my poor dancing chicken. I got over it though, the manufacturers were able to give my chicken back! Though, he was dead, wrapped in plastic, and labeled _Farmers' Market. _I must say though, that dancing chicken tasted delicious :p! Also, hyperness is a cool thing! At times it makes you do thing you never thought you could !

**Author's Note:** Getting tired of the notes I leave for you yet? . If you're reading the note right now, apparently not. I must mention that JK Rowling said that James was a chaser and the movies said that James had been awarded for being a seeker. So I decided to mix those two thoughts together ! So please don't tell me that quote unquote: JAMES WAS A CHASER. Cause I know these things... . I find this chapter kinda random, but yeah, I guess I'll have to live with that.

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**Chapter 9: The Problem**

It appeared as though Dumbledore didn't lie to them at all, and James was quite relieved to see Remus the next morning; though he seemed quite exhausted, batter up, and his hair seemed to have trimmed down a bit. Whenever they tried asking him about it, Remus merely laughed and told them that it was nothing that they should really worry about.

"So exactly what did Professor Dumbledore have you do?" Peter asked that first morning of November at breakfast time in the Great Hall.

"It looks like he made you do hard labor." Said James swiftly grabbing for another pastry. "You look parched!"

Remus didn't really look like he had been listening to James and Peter for it appeared as though his large appetite had taken over again. He ate mouth full after mouth full of delicious goodies and at times he'd glance at his friends' plates as ask, "Are you going to finish that?" You would have thought that Remus hadn't eaten a single thing in the last month if you saw how much food he jammed into his mouth.

James, Sirius, and Peter stared at him and quickly lost their hunger for more food. They silently decided that Remus probably needed the food since he didn't eat the day before. It was quite strange though, usually a person doesn't eat that much even if they hadn't eaten for one week, and this made them wonder whether what Remus said before about 'not eating anything decent in weeks' was a true statement.

Remus seemed to have noticed the silent stares from his friends because he suddenly looked up from his plate and flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry, am I hogging all the food?" he asked pushing his plate away from him and smiling nervously.

"Nah, it's all right, mate!" Sirius smirked resting his arm on James' shoulder. "You had work to do yesterday, so eat to your hearts content!"

Remus' face seemed to flush a deeper red as he shook his head vigorously. James smiled cheerfully at Remus then turned his attention elsewhere and said, "Mail's here."

Once again, another flock of owls swooped in; Cinder had once again dropped James a nice letter from his mother. It mainly asked he how was doing, how everything was going at home, and how his parents spent Halloween; James couldn't help but press a large smile across his sleepy face. Peter didn't receive anything this time around, and as usual, Remus didn't get anything either.

"Oy, Remus—"

"Who do you suppose that belongs to?" squealed a familiar voice from the Slytherin table. James seemed rather annoyed by this interruption for it was the second time he tried asking the question to Remus. The voice had come from none other than Sirius's cousin, Bellatrix. Rodolphus and his older brother, Rabastan Lestrange, sat beside her pointing at something and laughing hysterically.

This caught the attention of nearly everyone in the Great Hall and they looked up to see what looked like an extremely old owl carrying an envelope, a red envelope. Everyone in the Great Hall instantly knew what it was, a howler. James stared at the old bird as it glided closer toward them, and he realized to whom the letter was for; it was for Sirius.

James glanced at Sirius who stared at the letter with a look of despise and frustration. As the letter landed in front of them, the owl swooped away silently leaving everyone in the room to do nothing but stare at Sirius. Bellatrix smiled sinisterly and continued to eat carelessly. Peter and Remus stared it, their eyes looking with disbelief at the envelope.

"Quick, Black!" urged one of the Gryffindors who appeared to be in his third year. "Open it before it explodes!"

Sirius shook his head and yelled out, "I'm not opening that thing!" He pushed himself backward away from the table and away from the envelope; the envelope had begun to sizzle…

"Com'on, Black," said the voice of Severus Snape from somewhere, "You're not scared, are you? We're all going to hear the message either way."

James glared harshly at Snape causing the smirk from his face to fade. Peter as well as everyone else who sat near the envelope had backed away leaving only James, Remus, and Sirius sitting down. Sirius seemed to tremble slightly as he extended his hand to open the envelope, but too late; it had burst into flames and a loud scream was heard causing everyone to cover their ears.

Remus was knocked to the floor by the outburst and James's glasses had cracked from the high-pitched scream. Over the noise James heard Sirius scream: "STUPID WOMAN! SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

When the screaming had finally ceased, howling and yelling filled the Great Hall. Sirius' face was red with anger and he was trying his best to find out how to make it stop.

"How _dare_ you not even look at those letters I sent you!" shouted the voice, who James figured must be Mrs. Black. "SIRIUS BLACK! YOU ARE THE WOR—"

"I SAID _SHUT UP_, WOMAN!" Sirius bellowed at the top of his lungs, pulled out his wand, and screamed, "_Evanesco!"_

The yelling, howling, and screaming ceased instantly and many of the students seemed quite shaken while other found it rather humorous. Sirius breathed in and out staring at where the letter had exploded; there was no trace of it anywhere.

Students began filing out quickly and even more silent than before leaving a whimpering Peter, an awestruck Remus, a worried James, and an angry Sirius behind. Sirius sighed in relief, pocketed his wand, and turned to James and gave a fake smile. James also sighed and tried to smile back. Peter got down on his knees and stared up at Sirius in awe and fear. The other three looked down at Peter; Sirius raised his eyebrow in a questioning manor.

"Y—You used the vanishing spell!" Peter gasped. Sirius couldn't help but laugh. "We're supposed to learn that in our fifth year!"

James instantly knew that Peter was trying to get away from the topic of what had happened only a few minutes ago, and Sirius's face didn't seem as red as it had been. He shrugged his shoulders and decided to join in.

"It pays to read ahead." Said James briskly. "So shall we prepare for class?"

"That would be a good idea." Remus implored, motioning them to look behind them. "Erm…Good day to you Mr. Filch."

"I heard what happened…You—Black and Potter—detention!" Filch sneered grabbing the both of them by their cloaks.

"Detention?" Remus repeated taking a few steps toward Filch, "They did nothing wrong."

Filch seemed to survey Remus suspiciously then he smiled evilly, showing his decaying, yellow, and missing teeth.

"You're Lupin?" Filch grumbled, "Yer 'friends' have been learning spells they ain't supposed to. That's enough proof for detention!"

Remus and Peter were left standing there, their mouths agape with nothing else to say. Filch dragged both James and Sirius to his office to find a 'fitting' punishment for the both of them.

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"He just made that up." James shrugged as they four of them sat in the common room after their classes. "Do you think he has something against us?"

"Unlikely." Sirius scoffed running his hand through his hair to keep it out of his face. He still seemed angry about the incident that happened that morning, but he wasn't as angry.

Filch had made them scrub floors for nearly four hours making them miss nearly half of their classes.

Remus had another large book open in front of him and he read each page looking at every single detail that lay on it. Peter had his quill in his hands and he pressed it against his mouth trying to figure out what to write in his essay. Sirius was also writing his essay without much thought and the scratching of his quill would continue without pause. James on the other hand was relaxing on one of the comfortable red chairs looking at the lot of them.

"Oy, Remus." James yawned, "I've been meaning to ask you."

Remus placed his finger on the word 'Chimaera' and looked up at James.

"Well, I haven't seen your owl, Remus." James said rumpling his hair, "I was wondering if you have one."

Remus shrugged.

"I can't lie to you anymore than I have to, James." Remus laughed looking back at his book. "No, I don't have an owl."

Sirius looked up from his essay and looked at Remus curiously. Neither Sirius nor James really knew what Remus meant, but it sounded almost like Remus was hiding a few secrets from them.

"So that's why you haven't received any mail from your family?" Peter asked tapping his quill on the parchment.

Remus seemed rather taken aback by the comment and a hint of pink spread along his cheeks. He then rested his arm on the table and pressed his forehead into his hand and simple replied, "No, Peter. That isn't the reason."

There was a brief silence that took place afterwards and they continued to work diligently on their homework. The scratching noises created by Sirius's quill seemed to fill the room and it seemed to keep everyone focused.

"Finished." Sirius sighed, dropping his quill and pulling up the parchment to read it.

"Want me to go over it?" asked Remus closing his book.

Sirius grinned widely at Remus, and James knew exactly what he was thinking.

"You don't need to," Sirius began folding up the parchment. "I already know I'm gonna pass this one."

The only person who didn't react to Sirius's comment was Peter. The yellow-head boy was having too much trouble with his essay to take the time to listen in.

"All right, Peter?" James asked looking at him.

"…I can't—this is too hard!" he said looking extremely frustrated.

"Need some help?" Remus asked walking toward Peter to look at his paper. "…This was an assignment that was due last week, Peter!"

Peter stared at the floor, how miserable poor little Peter must have felt at that moment. James hopped up from his comfortable seat and announced: "It's alright, Peter, I bet a trip to the kitchen'll make yah feel better!"

Peter's miserable face suddenly lit up and he jumped up from his seat, put away his books, and hobbled toward James excitedly. On Sirius's face there appeared a sly grin as he looked over at James carefully.

"So it's true." Remus said aloud, "You really found the Hogwarts' Kitchen?"

"Wha? Didn't Peter tell you?" came James' reply.

"Oh, he told me, but he didn't tell me in detail." Remus told them. "Peter mainly talked about how brave you and Sirius were."

Peter's face quickly turned to the color of a pale rose as he surveyed James' and Sirius' reactions to the comment. Sirius laughed with satisfaction and pride in his voice, while James gave a quick wink to Peter making him feel even more embarrassed. James was about to go up to his dormitory to get a hold of his invisibility cloak when Professor McGonagall stormed into the room looking rather flustered and aggravated.

"Potter!" she yelled out, placing her hands on her hips, "Potter, where are you?"

James jerked backwards as he heard his name called through Professor McGonagall's piercing voice. He slowly turned his head to look at her and stated, "Right here, Professor…"

"Good grief! I've been looking everywhere for you!" she shrieked grabbing James by his collar and out of the common room. Sirius, Remus, and Peter reluctantly followed, but made sure they didn't get in the way of their Professor. James winced slightly at her sharp tug, but he decided not to complain about it.

She dragged him all the way down to the Quidditch grounds, and they faced another group of Gryffindors that were looking at James with great worry. James, in turn, looked back at them with enormous concern on why he was here; it was quite apparent that this group of Gryffindors was in fact the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.

"He be our substitute." Said Professor McGonagall patting James on the shoulder. "Madam Hooch has put him on the list already for next year and I'll take her word for it. You needed a substitute, you've got one."

James' mouth hung open, and his heart raced like never before. Would he substitute a chaser just like he told Madam Hooch?

"Okay, Potter." Said a girl with dark brown hair and amber eyes. "Do you mind substituting as a seeker? Of course, this will only be for the first match. Our original seeker is in the Infirmary and I suppose he will be out before the first match."

"A-A seeker?" James murmured, "I don't know if I can—"

"That's great! Okay, we'll begin training right now, do you mind using one of the school brooms?" asked the girl again beaming brightly at him.

"B-But I wanted to be a cha—"

"Here take this, I'll go let out the golden snitch!"

The girl tossed her broom over to James and he stumbled backwards from impact. Everything was happening so quickly, why was he going to be a seeker? They haven't even seen him fly, and they want him to have a job _that_ important? It would be for just this once and it would also be a really great experience for him.

On the other hand, the first Quidditch game was in two days and he's never actually played as a seeker nonetheless play in a competitive game of Quidditch. This didn't seem to bode well for him at all, the only thing he could do now was practice and hope he doesn't get killed in the process.

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**::TO BE BLAH BLAH::**

**_Next Chapter: Versus Slytherin_**

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I'm completely unoriginal... But that doesn't stop me.

**_Please review._** (and tell me just how yeh feel, mates! No, I don't want your life story though.)


	10. Chapter 10: Versus Slytherin

**Author's Note: **Hello all! Quick post of chapter 10; James is about to play as a seeker! Muwhahahaha... please look at the last author's note for extra details on whether James was a seeker or a chaser, otay? Good! I hope this chapter is all right. JKR owns the Harry Potter world, etc!

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**Chapter 10: Versus Slytherin**

It had finally been decided, Slytherin versus Gryffindor in the first match. James' stomach churned uncomfortably that morning of his first game and he couldn't even look at the food on the breakfast table without feeling like he was going to throw up. Remus and Sirius backed him up as best as he could, but all Peter could do was say, "Don't worry about a thing, I'll tell Madam Pomfrey to save you a bed just in case!"

Sirius had smacked Peter in the back of the head after he said that and Remus shrugged. James seemed to pale a lot after Peter's comment. As much as Peter looked up to James, it appeared as thought he wasn't very sure that James would come out in one piece.

It was just his luck; the first match was against the team he loathed the most. He wasn't even sure how good the Slytherins were and this was what scared him most about playing. That team looked like the kind that would actually cheat to win! On the other hand, James was quite excited to try out his new broomstick that Professor McGonagall herself bought out of her own pocket; it was one of the _Shooting Stars_.

It wasn't the _best_ broom on the shelves, but it would have to do for the time being. Professor McGonagall had clearly stated to him that after this first match the broomstick would be taken from him, but it would be given back sometime toward the end of the year. _I wanted a Nimbus… _James thought to himself …_like I want this back_!

James' knowledge on broomsticks and Quidditch was far beyond what anyone would call an "obsession." He knew that _Shooting Stars_ were quite popular at this age since it was the cheapest to get, but cheap didn't mean quality. The older the _Shooting Star_ got the more speed and height it lost, but as long as the the broom was new, James could depend on it.

"You're so lucky!" squealed Susan, a Gryffindor fourth year, "My mom won't even allow me to have a Tinderblast!"

"Well… It's probably just my great flying skills." James remarked smirking. He then combed through his hair with his hand and smiled handsomely back at Susan.

"You're so cute!" she squealed again, smiling at James innocently. She then turned to walk away. "I'll talk to you later, Potter! Good luck with the match today!"

James waved back at her cheerfully. Sirius, Remus, and Peter had been watching from the sidelines, each with their own different reaction to the way James had actually ended the conversation. Remus was chuckling, while writing something on parchment; Peter was gazing at James in astonishment that he was already so popular; and Sirius was looking at him hopelessly. James joined his group and they continue walk, talking amongst themselves.

"You're so _cuuute!_'" Sirius imitated with a mocking voice, and Remus couldn't help but laugh. "I seriously felt like throwing up with the show you just put on."

"Stuff it." James smirked, crossing his arms. "You may have to looks, Sirius, but I've got the skills!"

"Yeh git." Sirius laughed. "Tell me, is that the only way you're calming your nerves?"

James frowned and eyed Sirius. Peter and Remus were having a small conversation of their own so they didn't really bother to back anyone up. Sirius put an arm on James' shoulder and shrugged.

"Don't take it personally, mate." He informed him. He then glanced around then said in a very low voice, " Speaking of which, I found a new passage way."

"What!?" James screeched causing several passing students to glance at them curiously.

"Keep your voice down!" Remus implored. "Actually, didn't little Peter find it, Sirius?"

Sirius let out a sigh, and James scratched his head, rather amused. Peter seemed to stand up straight and tall, feeling awfully proud of himself. Remus smiled kindly at Peter then back at James who was beaming quite brightly at him as well. It was on rare incidents that Peter would actually do something that benefited everyone in their group, but when it happened it was usually something really extraordinary.

"So what did yeh find, Peter?" James asked him, still beaming.

"Oh—" Peter seemed to slouch again, and he looked to the ground embarrassedly and said, "I insisted that we wait for you first…"

James found his face grow crimson as he pushed his circular glasses up the bridge of his nose. Sirius, who had been chuckling, suddenly stopped in his tracks and glance slowly behind him. It took Remus, James, and Peter a while to realize that Sirius had stopped, but when they did they looked back at Sirius with contempt.

"What's the matter?" Remus asked, glancing to where Sirius had his eyes glued.

"It—It's nothing." He replied turning his head back at his three friends with a mixed look of weariness and hesitance. Before Remus and Peter could say anything else, Sirius walked quickly ahead leaving his three friends behind. James looked on feeling a sudden pang from within his heart; it wasn't like Sirius to just walk off like that. Wanting to know why Sirius was acting strangely, James rushed toward him.

"All right there, Sirius?" said James pressing a smile on his lips. "What's on your mind?"

"Huh? Oh—shouldn't we be heading to class? We're going to be late you know," responded Sirius, turning and walking away from him.

James was quite taken aback by what Sirius has said and done; there was deffinitly something bothering him. It became very apparent during their classes, Defense Against the Dark Arts especially; he had lost fifteen whole points for Gryffindor for spacing out in class. Several other students who had noticed his sudden change in attitude tried asking him what the matter was, but Sirius didn't even bother to look at any of them.

The sudden behavior of Sirius, caused James, Remus, and Peter to grow concerned. The handsome young Sirius Black hadn't spoken to them at all for the rest of the day, and James began to worry if he had said anything wrong to him during their conversation. Not only did they not speak for the rest of the day, but also began to see Sirius less and less that day as the Quidditch game versus the Slytherins began to creep closer. Was Sirius really avoiding them?

_No, _James thought as he walked down a corridor of the second floor to reach the ground floor, _I can't stop and think about him right now… I have a match that I have to worry about._ He continued to trek down the empty stone walled corridor when he began to realize someone was following him. He could feel three pairs of stone cold eyes glaring at the back of his head. This undoubtedly sent chills down his neck and along his spine and he rubbed his arms to keep from shivering.

Who could possibly be following him? James really had no intention of finding out, but his curiosity seemed to be nagging at him that he decided to face whoever this stalker was. He slowly turned around and obviously saw that there was no one standing directly behind him, but he swore he had seen some sort of figure out of the corner of his eye.

"Sir Nicholas?" James croaked, thinking that maybe it was the Gryffindor ghost, Nearly Headless Nick. James wasn't exactly frightened yet he seemed extremely uncomfortable.

He then saw another movement from behind him and he quickly spun around, pulled out his wand, and pointed it straight at the figure that stood in front of him.

Oddly enough, the person who stood before him was in fact a girl ghost, but she deffinitly wasn't a house ghost since he had never seen her before until now. She had lanky dark hair, very distinguishable pimples, and she wore a pair of extremely thick glasses. The ghost stood there, her mouth open in surprise at James' wand.

"S—Sorry, I didn't know." James mumbled, pocketing his wand quickly.

"Of course you didn't know!" the girl shrieked, pounding James' eardrums. "You're here to make fun of me too? I knew it!"

The girl then glided through a door that was no doubt the entrance to girl's bathroom. There was a sign on the door that strictly said "out of order". James blinked; he was completely mesmerized yet he felt somewhat sorry for her. _Maybe I should apologize…_ James thought to himself as he stared at the entrance, _Then again, it is the girl's bathroom._ He took a deep breath, placed his hand on the handle, and slowly pushed it open.

"Oh!" squeaked the ghost girl flying down toward James, "You're not s'posed to be in here!"

"I—I thought I'd say sorry." James sputtered, "I didn't realize _you_ were the one following me."

The girl's face seemed to gasp with horror and fear as she swooped away from him. James took a few more steps into the bathroom and closed the door behind him; the girl seemed to be whimpering softly to herself.

"What's wrong?" he asked looking up at her carefully, brushing some of his hair from his eyes.

"Everyone accuses me…" she began, pressing her hands to her face, and began wailing. "Ohh! The names they call me, you think I don't know? I—"

"No!" James shouted, covering his ears, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings! Honest!"

The girl gave a loud sniff then pulled her hands from her face to get a good look at James. Her eyes were full of tears and her glasses were fogged from her breath; she looked like a mess.

James toppled over when she swooped down to get a closer look, the chills she sent just by standing beside him made James yearn for the warmth of his blanket. It wasn't the best feeling, and he only hoped that she didn't walk through him.

"So who are you…?" James asked stepping backwards a few centimeters.

"Myrtle." She said plainly, staring at James with interest.

"That's a pretty name, Myrtle. Pleasure, erm, I'm James Potter…" he told her faking a smile.

Myrtle sighed and gave another great sniff. James would have given the poor girl a hug if it weren't for the fact that he would just go right through her. Myrtle wiped away her last tears and crossed her arms in an annoyed fashion. James jumped backwards and stared at her nervously. She was apparently angered by something…

"Those horrible people!" Myrtle moaned swaying from side to side, gliding across the floor.

"W—What people?" he asked unsure of what she was speaking of.

Myrtle pointed her index finger towards the exit: the door that had hung the words "under construction" on it. James looked back at the door speechless, what did she mean? He stood there staring at door as silent as an elk watching its poacher. Then in an instant, he realized what she meant and rushed toward the door.

"They couldn't have!" James shrieked grabbing the handle and tugging at it ferociously; it didn't budge at all. "They locked me in! Myrtle did you see who did it?"

"Two boys and girl… looked like a lot from Slytherin…" Myrtle sniffed curling up against the wall. "I'm a good for nothing…"

She then began moaning much louder than before, and James felt like banging he head on the wall in frustration.

"Please stop moaning…" James pleaded to her. "I bet you, it was Bellatrix and her two gits."

Myrtle looked up at James and swooped away.

"What about you?" she asked disappearing from sight. "How do you plan to get out?"

"Easy." James said briskly, pulling out his wand.

He swiftly pointed it at the door and said, "_Alohamora!"_ and it instantly opened. Myrtle looked at James curiously and gave a high-pitched laugh of excitement. James smiled widely and rumpled his hair. He then walked out into the corridor and turned to look back at the girl's bathroom.

"Visit me again." Myrtle demanded, poking her head out of the door.

"I will." He promised, winking at her. "But first I have a date with Bellatrix."

"A…date…?" Myrtle blinked, her face seeming to flush with jealousy.

James laughed and chuckled at the thought of it. Myrtle looked as though she was going to wail and scream and so James had to immediately explain that it was only a figure of speech. She wasn't very happy to know that he was only joking though for she was very annoyed and angry for that matter. She actually slammed the door of the girl's bathroom in her rage, and James wondered if it was still a safe idea to visit her at all.

"James!"

James quickly looked around the to find the source of the voice and when he realized who it was his expression turned into a great burst of excitement. "Sirius!" he exclaimed walking over to him.

"Are you all right? Did they hurt you?" Sirius seemed to be panicking glancing all around James to see if he was injured, "Tell me what Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan did to you!"

"They didn't touch me." James said wistfully. "Tell me, is that why you weren't talking to us? Because you didn't want us to get hurt?"

Sirius looked down and sighed hopelessly. He had been caught and defeated. The only thing to do was tell the truth, and that's exactly what James wanted to hear. It seemed as though Sirius had been threatened by nearly his entire family for hanging around with "unworthy" people.

"Bellatrix said she'd paralyzed you." Sirius said in a low voice, shrugging his shoulders.

"Paralyze? Me? Ha!" he laughed patting Sirius on the shoulder. "So are yeh gonna cheer me on?"

"Fine." Sirius smirked, "You'll do fine, you don't need me to cheer yeh."

"Ah, shut your mouth." James retorted, cleaning his glasses. "I'll need all the support I can get!"

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The Quidditch match was only several minutes away; James held his _Shooting Star_ in his right hand as he continued to contemplate before the match. It was as though he had to choose between life and death by the way he tried to calm himself. His teammates didn't seem to be as worried as he was for they were cheerfully talking amongst themselves. The locker room wasn't that big nor was it too small, but it had enough space for everyone to fit. Their captain, Richard Thompson, was off somewhere probably spying on their Slytherin opponents before the game. By the time he came back, James felt like passing out from anticipation.

"Okay team!" proclaimed Richard in a loud voice. "One minute till we head out there; don't worry I've already checked the Slytherin team. They don't seem to have any cheating devices so we should be able to have a fair match." He then swiftly turn to James, "You're to grab the snitch when we're ahead by at the least thirty points. Got that?"

"I think so." James replied swallowing.

"You'll do fine!" said Richard, "Just don't let them get the snitch first!"

With those words said, they all walked out of the locker room and out onto the field. Opposite of them, the Slytherin team walked out onto the field as well.

Madam Hooch stood in the middle of the two groups smiling at the lot of them; it was apparent to James that Madam Hooch was the referee. She held a whistle in one hand and her broomstick in the other as she waited for the two teams to settle down.

"I want this to be a fair game, you can understand that much, yes?" Madam Hooch stated. The whole Slytherin team seemed to chuckle sinisterly at this and James had an eerie feeling that they were staring at him. The crowds up in the high stands seemed to be roaring rather loudly, and James swore he could hear Remus and Sirius screaming their lungs out, rooting him on. He rumpled his hair and smiled bashfully, clutching the _Shooting Star_ closer to him.

"Okay you lot, mount your brooms."

James swiftly got onto his broomstick and readied himself.

Madam Hooch then sounded her loud silver whistle and all of them rose into the air. The game had finally begun.

"The Quaffle has been swiftly taken by Sam—forget what I said—it's with Ariel from Slytherin!" yelled the voice of a boy, Vincent Dario, through a loud megaphone. "No wait—it's with Randy—no Johnny—wait Kiara—back to Sam—bloody hell what a match!"

The crowd seemed to be extremely rowdy and so did the game. The both the Slytherin team and Gryffindor team seemed to be giving it their all, and it was only the first match of the season!

James sat on his broom, high above everyone else and he had a nice view from up there. He circled around slowly because he knew from all those magazines he had read that if he stayed still he'd be a sitting duck for Beaters. At times James caught himself just staring at the game down below; he couldn't help it the game was getting interesting.

"Woo! He barely missed that time; that was a close catch by Thompson! Gryffindor—seventy! Slytherin—fifty! Gryffindor leads by twenty points!"

James heaved a sigh, just one more point and then he'd have to search around for the Snitch. He also noted to keep the Slytherin Seeker, Daniel Smith, in his sights just in case he saw the snitch first.

Then he saw it: a shimmer of gold moving carelessly from side to side just below the Slytherin goalposts.

He hesitated at first, and made careful that the other seeker hadn't seen what he saw. He had been specifically told to wait till they were in the lead by thirty points, but he couldn't wait! It was right there! He decided to turn his head in a different direction to confuse his opponent and from the corner of his eye keep track of the snitch.

"Hey! It's the amateur seeker!" laughed one of the chasers from the opposing team. "You'll never find the snitch, there's no possible way your team will win. Our seeker's the best at Hogwarts, you're just a last rate nothing out here."

James tried his best to ignore the sudden burst of insults and tried to concentrate. Soon enough the beaters joined in and they crowded around him to block his view. James kept to himself and tried to stay calm, any wrong moves and he might plummet to the ground.

"YOU LAY ONE HAND ON HIM AND YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER THING COMING!" Screeched Sirius who was standing up from his seat, yelling at the top of his lungs. Remus, from what James could see, was plugging his ears and Peter looked very shaken. The Slytherin chasers, beaters, as well as everyone else stared at Sirius.

Sirius' face was apparently flushed red and he was pointing his wand straight up at the group that was surrounding James. James, on the other hand, didn't look surprised or startled by Sirius' sudden uproar. Instead, he felt extremely grateful to have a friend like him. It gave him courage—

"GRYFFINDOR SCORES!" screamed Vincent, causing everyone's attention to shift back to the game.

With everyone's attention elsewhere, James quickly sped out of their reach and toward the snitch that he had had in his sights since he had first laid eyes on it. Everyone was quite surprised to see James fly downward at top speed and nearly fell of their brooms as he flew by.

"He's spotted it! He's seen the snitch!"

It took Daniel Smith a while to process what was happening, and when he finally understood he sped off at top speed as well. The two of them zoomed down ward and the snitch sped away from them. The crowds had gone wild and the crowd's attention was right on Daniel and James.

Right when James was about to reach out his right hand, Daniel intentionally smashed into his side nearly causing him to fall off. James scowled harshly then sped up even faster, Daniel right at his tail. _I have to loose him,_ James though frantically,_ but how?_

Then he thought of the perfect plan. The famous move he had read about in Quidditch Through the Ages; the Wronski Feint. He gulped, he had to make sure that Daniel was following _him_ and not the snitch and so he deliberately swerved the opposite direction of the snitch. And to James' delight, Daniel followed.

He then slowly increased in height, and then suddenly looked down at the ground. This was an extremely dangerous move if not done correctly, and James was highly aware of this. When he thought he was high enough, he suddenly sped into a great dive, speeding faster than one would have ever imagined. Those who watched James, stared in awe at how he was able to control his broom and move so swiftly like some professional who had been practicing for decades.

Daniel followed, having a haughty grin on his face as he sped closer to James. James, in turn, looked at the ground bellow him and knew that impact would strike at any minute and he had to move up quick at the exact moment…

He was nearly a foot away from the ground when he finally pulled up his broom and sped off parallel to the floor, gliding inches from the earth's surface. Daniel didn't see this coming and wasn't prepared to pull upwards, and he ended up crashing in a heap on the floor.

Many Slytherins gasped and pointed concerned fingers at the poor boy that lay crumpled on the floor. Everyone else cheered loudly at James' wonderful trick and continued to root him. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were especially loud.

James caught sight of the snitch and sped off once again, this time he reached out with one hand, groping the air aimlessly; trying to snatch that snitch! Every time he swung he arm forward the snitch would always pull forward, so he carefully scooted up to the very tip of the broom and reached forward again. No good. The snitch was just too fast for his broom to maneuver against.

The only thing that he could possibly do now was jump forward, leaving his broom completely. This, he knew, was an extremely foolish idea, but he had no other choice. He had only one chance to jump off, only one chance to snatch it, and only one chance to win the first game of the season. He _had_ to do it.

_All right, James…_ his mind panicked, _slowly… 1…2…3!_

He leaped off his broom, pushed his hand forward, snatched the snitch firmly in his left hand, and crashed onto the ground below. Luckily for him, the floor was only about a foot away so his didn't have any severe injures from the impact.

At first he laid there for a brief moment, and the stadium was silent… watching James with wonder and amazement. He struggled to get on his feet, but when he did, he sighed deeply and looked at the shining snitch that was clasped tightly in his hand.

"He did it! First-timer James Potter has caught the golden snitch! GRYFFINDOR WINS!" shouted Vincent excitedly nearly falling out of the stands. With that, the whole place erupted in a grand round of applause.

James blushed feverishly and he rumpled his hair as he walked over to pick up his _Shooting Star_.

"Great work, Potter!" exclaimed Richard Thompson flying toward him, "That was quite a show you put on out there. They'll remember this match for years to come!"

James tried to hide his embarrassment by covering his face, but soon enough the whole Gryffindor Quidditch team surrounded him; commenting him on all of the special things he did.

James never imagined something like this happening during his first year at Hogwarts. There were so many things he didn't expect… and he had to remind himself to tell his mother how right she was about coming. Hogwarts really is place worthwhile.

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**::insert quote here::**

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**_Next Chapter: Joys of Christmas_**

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How was it? My first attempt at trying to do Quidditch XD! Reviews would be very helpful thank you much! Nyahahahahahhahahahahaha!!!!!!!! Er.. yeah... right... I think you get the message.


	11. Chapter 11: Joys of Christmas

**Author's Note: **Argh! I thought I was never going to be able to post this chapter here! My computer's all screwed up in my room so I'm using my mum's in the bonus room. I was able to salvage this chapter from some of the websites I posted this fic on so I'm happy :D! This chapter is much shorter than the other chapters so please bare with it. I'll post chapter 12 later on today so just wait for it, kay? J.K. Rowling is the greatest... with her imagination... one could probably rule the world :P! Thanks for all the reviews !

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**Chapter 11: Joys of Christmas**

After the first match, James along with Remus, Sirius, and Peter became the most popular people around Hogwarts. They lot of them really enjoyed the attention that they were given by many students. James especially received the most praise for his phenomenal Quidditch skills. Not only did their fellow students give them attention, but also the Hogwarts faculty praised them wherever they went.  
  
For James' last minute, awesome, and spectacular performance, Professor McGonagall and several other professors agreed create a plaque for him. The plaque was quickly placed on display right next to a set of awards that had the name "_Tom Riddle_" written upon it. The plaque stated:

**JAMES POTTER: SEEKER** James was quite surprised to see it on display there and nearly knocked the shelf over. Unfortunately for James, Mr. Filch saw him nearly knock it over, and was quick to accuse James of trying to destroy Hogwarts property.  
  
"Riddle was much more than you'd ever be!" Flich screeched.  
  
After Flich's long speech, James was still put to detention despite all the requests from teachers not to give it to him. The poor boy had to work on hands and knees for the rest of the month instead of hanging around with his friends during break.  
  
With much excitement, November passed along like the breeze bringing the icy cold days of December and Christmas. During the first week of the month, Professor McGonagall went around making a list of the people who were to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas time.   
  
The four of them apparently had to persuaded their parents to stay over Christmas at Hogwarts, obviously, Sirius didn't have to persuade or talk to anyone about staying over Christmas since his mother had already made clear that he would be staying. James had created an extensive list of reasons why he should stay over Christmas and sent it to his family.  
  
"Did you think chocolate was more appropriate?" James asked that morning as they walked across the grounds to their usual hang out spot. "I mean, do you think my parents would buy it?"  
  
"Buy it? You gave nearly gave one hundred reasons why you should stay!" exclaimed Sirius punching James lightly on the shoulder.  
  
"There were actually seventy-six reasons." Stated Remus plainly, flipping through the book Hogwarts a History. "Your always so sarcastic, Sirius."  
  
"Seventy-six! One hundred! What's the difference?!" Sirius shouted, rubbing his forehead in annoyance.  
  
"There's actually a difference of twenty—" both James and Peter had clasped their hands around Remus' mouth nearly suffocating him. James laughed aloud nervously, "I think that's enough for now, Remus…"  
  
Sirius sighed in an attempt to calm himself down; James could tell that he was trying his best not to be like his rampaging mother. _"I'm going to be different!"_ was the phrase he had said not too long ago and James could already see how different Sirius was compared to his family.  
  
The four of them quickly sat on the frosty grass near the large oak tree that they, for some reason, found a great attachment to. They all remained under the shade of this tree, each of them sitting in their own different way and style. James was lying lazily on the frostbitten ground surveying the sky above him. Remus was leaning against the large tree, as usual, reading his book and jotting down a few notes on a piece of old parchment. Sirius sat upright, his arms hugging his left knee to his chest, and his head resting on his arms. Finally, there was Peter, trying to 'fit in' with his group; the poor boy was trying to sit like Sirius, but for some reason ended up in some sort of awkward position that made him topple over.  
  
"Yeh all right, Peter?" James asked, lifting his head up attentively, like an animal that had heard a noise from the bushes and looked up to see what it was.  
  
"He's fine." Sirius scoffed, merely shifting his eyes from James to Peter. "Speak of which, Peter, did you ask your folks if you could stay over Christmas?"  
  
Peter nodded mutely as he stood up.  
  
"Get a reply yet?"  
  
The yellow-haired boy merely shook his head; Sirius found this rather annoying, but refrained from speaking his mind.  
"How about you, Remus?" James asked hopeful.  
  
"I think so," said Remus shutting his book, "I mean, I'll be here for Christmas, but I won't be here a few days before then."  
  
James scratched his head in confusion; Peter and Sirius gave similar reactions to Remus' comment.  
  
"You know, erm, family issues."  
  
"Eh, sound reasonable enough." James forced a smile, "As long as you're gonna be here for Christmas. We were planning on having a little look at that place Peter found a month ago."  
  
The following morning, both James and Peter got their replies from their families. James was excited to read that his family was allowing him to stay with his best friend, and laughed at the fact that his parents were surprised to find a long scroll of reasons he wanted to stay. Peter opened his letter with great trepidation and let out a squeak of excitement when he read the first few words on the page.  
  
Sirius smiled widely at the lot of them. At least Peter and James were staying for sure. Even so, they were disappointed that Remus was going to go away for a few days. Not only were they worried about that, but also Remus seemed to grow paler and hairier just like what had happened during Halloween. The other three had become very concerned, but Remus reassured his friends that that he was just fine. 

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The day the students left for their families had come, and they all left joyfully, leaving Sirius, James, and Peter as the only Gryffindors at Hogwarts. Remus had mysteriously disappeared, and they all wondered whether their friend had left without saying goodbye. If that was the case, they decided not to dwell on it nor get angry with him when he got back.  
  
Christmas eve was only a three short days away, and the three of them couldn't wait till their good bookworm friend, Remus, came back to join them. He had promised them that he would be there to celebrate Christmas with them, and they were going to take his word for it.  
  
"So where to?" Sirius asked James teasingly.  
  
"What do you mean 'where to'?" James retorted, eyeing his handsome-looking friend. "Since when have I been made to decide?"  
  
"You're the leader of our group." Said Sirius confidently. "Right, Peter?"  
  
The yellow-headed, chubby-cheeked boy nodded vigorously and said, "We chose you!"  
  
"It was a unanimous vote." Sirius laughed pushing his bangs out of his eyes.  
  
James couldn't believe this. He, out of the four of them, was chosen to be a _leader_ for their group? He frowned at the thought of it, but Sirius kept bugging him about it; he had no choice but to take on the job. James, the leader of the—  
  
"What are we called then?" James asked, hopeful that they had already thought of one. He never thought of himself as a very good at making up titles.  
  
"That's your job." Peter chuckled, nodding as he did so.  
  
James smirked, he had apparently thought of a great counter idea. "Since I'm the leader," he said in a low voice, a sly grin appearing on his thin face, "…I assign the job of finding a name for our group to Sirius Black!"  
  
Sirius' jaw dropped open, and Peter clapped happily.  
  
"Assign the job to Remus!" Sirius exclaimed ruffling his hair in agitation. "He's great at this kind of stuff."  
  
James laughed in agreement. Remus really was good at this kind of stuff, but the thought of it made them miss him even more. Without their book-loving friend, their group felt small and unimportant; everyone in their little group had a strong impact on the group itself. Without one of them, the group wouldn't feel right.  
  
Later that day, supper was set for them at one table in the middle of the Great Hall. The table consisted of the Hogwarts' faculty, two Ravenclaws, five Hufflepuffs, one Slytherin, and three Gryffindors. Obviously, the last Slytherin was none other than the infamous Severus Snape, and James, Sirius, and Peter sat as far away from him as possible.   
  
After James had caught that snitch and won the first match for Gryffindor, Severus became all the more angrier and meaner toward them. On random occasions, a professor would walk toward them asking if they had hexed anyone or jinxed a particular item, and it was quite apparent that it was Severus who had told their professors such false rumors.  
  
After their meal was over, the three of them were excused from the table and they hurriedly walked out of the Great Hall in order to avoid the suspicious eyes Snape had laid upon them as they stood up. As the three of them walked through the double doors and into the stone walled corridor, Sirius gave a quick glare at him then walked out.  
  
The corridor was rather drafty; their winter cloaks that they wore didn't seem to help keep them warm for they had shivered constantly all the way to the common room. Unlike the corridors of Hogwarts, the Gryffindor common was, as always, very warm and cozy. The fireplace was always alit with a large fire, burning brightly to keep the room very comfortable.  
  
One could possibly have slumped onto one of the soft red chairs and fallen asleep in an instant. James was quite tired, but he wasn't in the mood to fall asleep just yet. The other two also felt the same ways since they all avoided getting near any of the chairs and went in a hurry toward the dormitories.  
  
When they got there, they all slumped onto their bed without changing their clothes. It was very different without their whole group there. The room felt half empty and many times, the lot of them found themselves staring blankly at the empty bed Remus would have been sitting on. _He'd be sitting there reading another large book_, thought James as he looked carefully at the empty bed, _telling us how lazy we are._ "When's Remus coming back?" James asked, looking up at the ceiling out of mere boredom.  
  
"He'll be back before Christmas, mate." Answered Sirius, groping for his pillow, which had fallen onto the floor. He was obviously too lazy to look down at where it had landed, "We should do something till then. Keep us occupied."  
  
"Like what?" Peter whined, biting his short nails, "We can't check out the place I found without Remus along with us…"  
  
Peter was right; they would hurt their friend's feelings if they went along without him. Remus seemed pretty excited about Peter finding the place, and he also seemed very thrilled to explore it as well. If they couldn't do that, they'd just have to find something else to occupy them. There was a long pause; everyone had begun to think of ideas of what they could possibly do.  
  
James thought for a moment, then a sly and sinister grin spread across his confident face. Whatever he was thinking of had to be something good, dangerous, or something to that effect because it was every so often that a grin such as that had laid upon his face.  
  
Sirius and Peter caught sight of James' suspicious grin and they tensed at the sight of it. There was something about that grin that made the two of them feel very nervous.  
  
"He's got that look on his face…" Sirius murmured to Peter. Peter gulped loudly and frowned.  
  
"It's been bothering me for months now," said James, his face had grown strangely serious, "We should check it out."  
  
"What yeh talking about, mate?"  
  
"The Whomping Willow. Let's visit it tonight."  
  
Both Sirius and Peter gave him blank stares in return. It was pure foolishness to visit such a place like that! What if they were to get hit by one of its long and think branches? For sure they'd break a few hundred limbs if that happened!  
  
"What's the point it going there?" Sirius asked, pulling his pillow against his head, "Zoom in and out trying not to get hit by branches?"  
  
"Haven't you realized it…?" James said, with such wonder and awe in his voice.  
  
"Realized that fact that the tree is really big, tall, and scary?" answered Peter, pretty sure that his answer was incorrect.  
  
James shrugged; he could tell that he had a bit of explaining to do amongst his friends.  
  
"The Whomping Willow was planted just this year, right?" he began, as he sat up to look at his friends, "Why would Professor Dumbledore plant something like that on Hogwarts grounds when there are first years that could easily get smashed by it?"  
  
"Hey, don't ask me!" Sirius stammered, "For his entertainment, perhaps?"  
  
James frowned, he could tell Peter and Sirius weren't taking him seriously.  
  
"Dumbledore is not that kind of person, Sirius." James shrugged and turned to Peter, "I have a question for you, Peter. Would you go up to the Whomping Willow if I told you to?"  
  
Peter's eyes widened with fright and despair then shook his head violently. James smirked; apparently Peter's reaction was exactly that he was looking for.  
  
"Exactly! See, Sirius, the Whomping Willow wasn't planted there so Dumbledore could enjoy seeing kids in the hospital wing. It was planted there to keep people away!" he exclaimed his face full of excitement.  
  
Sirius blinked then stared at the floor in wonder. What James had said made perfect sense…  
  
"Whatever is in the Whomping Willow is either dangerous or precious, either way, Dumbledore doesn't want us to see it." Sirius stated thinking about it some more.  
  
"The only thing we need to find out is why the Great Professor Dumbledore wants to keep people away from it…" 

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**::TILL NEXT CHAPTER::**

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**_Next Chapter: More Werewolves?_**

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Don't be fooled by the title of the next chapte because it's not what you think. That's all I'm going to say about the matter! 

Hugs are sweet. Kisses are nice. Smooches are for marriage. Flowers are pretty. Cards are funny. Books are cool. Reading is better. Writing is much much better. But over all reviews are the best. Reviews are what _you_ can do! So **DO IT!** :cackles: Muwhahaahahahahahaahaaahaahahah!!!!!!!!!!!


	12. Chapter 12: More Werewolves?

**Khanele**** - **I'm glad the fic suits you! Characterization is done really well? Why thank you very much. I'll be posting more in a bit so don't worry .!

**Celebrean** **- **Yup, Sirius is always looking out for his friends.

**Misthea** - You really like the Quidditch Match .! After reading it a few times I thought it was kinda corny... but that might just be me.

**Author's Note:** Thanks for everyone who's reading. I try to comment back... without sounding to repetitive. Please keep reading and reviewing! I'll be ever so greatful! Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, btw.

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**Chapter Twelve: More Werewolves?**

"B—But!" Peter pleaded, stumbling off of his bed and crawling on all fours towards James.  
  
"All right, Peter?" he asked, curiously, sitting up. "We're just going to look. It's not like we're not going to do anything _reckless_. _Right_, Sirius?"  
  
James shot a glance at Sirius when he said this and Sirius agreed simultaneously. Despite their efforts, Peter's expression didn't change as much as they thought it would; his face was still up in concern and fear. They were extremely disappointed by this and wondered what Peter was concerned about this time.  
  
"What seems to be the problem, mate?"  
  
"Tonight's a full moon!" Peter whimpered, chewing lightly on his right index finger.  
  
"You're lucky it's not a red moon." Sirius retorted, crossly.  
  
"B—But! Werewolves!" gasped Peter, shivering continuously.  
  
James and Sirius glanced at each other in wonder. They remembered reading about werewolves in the book, _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by _Newt Scamander_, and they distinctly remembered that werewolves actively seek people as their prey. The young ones seemed to be a werewolf's favorite dish. Just remembering it made James shudder with much excitement. He then smiled and looked lightly at Peter.  
  
"I don't think Dumbledore will allow a werewolf to come into Hogwart's grounds. I mean he _is_ the great Albus Dumbledore!" James laughed aloud, patting Peter on the shoulder.  
  
"You won't be saying that if you happen to get bitten, mate." Said Sirius in a cocky fashion, joking around seemed to be the only thing they could do to lighten up the moment.  
  
James shrugged; the only thing they needed now was a map! Remus was the kind of person to know where they could get a map of Hogwarts at this time of night, but then again, there wasn't exactly a _complete_ map of Hogwarts known in all of the Wizarding World.  
  
The three of them already knew their way to the Whomping Willow and they already knew what their objective was: investigate the Willow and take with them the hidden secrets of the tree. The three of them decided it would be best to keep their wands with them at all times during their short journey for evil maybe lurking about on the grounds at night. James also brought along his trusty invisibility cloak in which he was able to hide all three of them underneath its protective magic.   
  
It was already getting close to midnight, and they all knew that moon would be high in the sky while they walked toward the Whomping Willow. If they _did_ see a werewolf, the lot of them would be killed without realizing it.   
  
As they walked down to the common room they were startled to see Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore seated in the comfy red chairs by the fire. Oddly enough, Dumbledore was able to catch sight of them even if they were hiding underneath the cloak. The old man stared at them from behind his spectacles for a few seconds then gave then a warm smile. Did Dumbledore really have the ability to see them, or could he just sense they were there? Not only was that bothering them, but Dumbledore seemed to be occupying McGonagall for them! Why, in all the Wizarding World, would Professor Dumbledore do something like that for _them_? They're breaking rules!  
  
"Albus, is there something the matter?" Professor McGonagall asked looking at his expression with the deepest concern.  
  
"Oh no, it's nothing Minerva." Said Dumbledore calmly, "Did I ever tell you about the Erumpent I met a few decades ago?"  
  
Professor McGonagall's back was faced towards both the door and the three boys whom were disregarding the rules. The only one who had a clear view of the three was Headmaster Albus Dumbledore who appeared to be buying time for them to head out of the common room.  
  
James, Sirius, and Peter looked in a confused manor at Professor Dumbledore for a while then moved on toward the door. No matter if Dumbledore could see them or not, they were already there and they definitely weren't going to turn back.   
  
James slowly creaked the door open, large enough for the three of them to fit through and not too wide. The fat lady who was asleep sitting in a chair stirred slightly, but didn't look up to see who was opening the door. By the time they closed the door, they swore they heard Professor McGonagall stand up from her seat.  
  
The four of them quietly walked through the drafty stone corridors toward the grounds. Upon their first step out of the castle, a rush of white, and biting coldness surrounded them; inevitably making them huddle closer together. There ahead of them was nothing but pure whiteness and splendor. James was quick to notice that the snow they were trudging through was leveled above their ankles, and they occasionally stopped to shiver as the wet snow seeped into their shoes, drenching their warm socks.  
  
"Y—yeh pi—picked a fine n—night to go—ah—investigating, James!" Sirius grumbled, shivering and nearly stumbling over a hidden tree root.  
  
"Sa—Save it." James retorted, pulling the cloak off them. The willow was not far away now; it appeared to be no less than twenty meters from where they stood.  
  
Peter was quick to grab the cloak and huddle it against his round body. James frowned; Peter had wrapped his body with the cloak causing it to grow invisible leaving his head suspended in midair. Sirius found it rather humorous for a second, but the cold easily blew away all the fun.  
  
"Do—Do you think the Willow's frozen, too?" asked Peter, hopeful.  
  
"Probably. But I wouldn't keep your hopes up." Said James casually.  
  
"It's well passed one o'clock by now, shouldn't we head back, mate?" informed Sirius, "You can't even see the moon anymore!"  
  
"Y—yeah, the wind is getting too strong, James!" Peter whimpered as a rush of freezing cold air passed them. "We might get caught in a blizzard or even worse! _Werewolves_!"  
  
"Would you stop the werewolf thing?!" Sirius stammered glaring harshly at Peter, "It's bad enough that we have to worry about the cold, but with you talking about the end of our lives; I feel like were already dead!"  
  
James frowned harshly at the both of them. They were so close to the Whomping Willow, there was no way he was going to turn back now!  
  
"If we hurry we might be able to sneak a peak, before the blizzard!" he shouted, trying to be heard over the howling wind. "If we can't see the moon, neither can a werewolf! No moon, no werewolf!"  
  
Sirius shrugged hopelessly; as much as James wanted to have the charm and good looks of Black, Sirius seemed to long for James' great courage and determination. Once James Potter had made up his mind that was it, and even if he died everyone would know that he pushed himself beyond his limit. He would still be announced a great hero.  
  
Just then Peter gasped, pointed one of his small fingers at the direction of the Whomping Willow, and squealed, "Look!" James took no time in asking questions; he hastily looked at where Peter had pointed. What he saw stunned him, his mouth hung open for a second; there in front of the frozen Willow laid a boy, face down in the snow. The child's short hair distinguished him to be a young boy about their age, but they were much too far away to really see to whom this kid was.  
  
The three struggled toward the boy, trying their best to ignore the numbness of their nose, fingers, and toes. James, being as athletic as he was, was the first person to reach the Willow. Sirius arrived not long afterwards. Peter kept stumbling in the snow and it took a fairly long time for him to arrive. Upon his arrival, James and Sirius were already gathered around the boy, pulling him out of the snow. They then flipped the boy over and rested his head on James' lap. There was snow all over the boy's face, hair, and clothes, and they quickly brushed as much as they could off of him.  
  
"Hold on…" Sirius murmured, staring at the boy, his hands trembling. "D—doesn't he look familiar…?"  
  
James and Peter looked carefully at the boy and were shocked to see who it was.  
  
"This is—"  
  
"REMUS!" squeaked Peter, shocked.   
  
Sirius yanked the invisibility cloak from Peter and wrapped it around Remus. Peter, who had been comfortable with the cloak, shivered more than any of them.  
  
"I don't want to hear any complaining!" shouted Sirius, glowering at Peter.  
  
"Hey, mate, yeh should calm down a tad bit." Said James lifting Remus onto his back. "I really think we should get him to the infirmary." 

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Madam Pomfrey didn't give the three the kind of welcome they had expected. They thought she would take Remus into her good care, lay him on a comfy bed by the moonlight, and then give him some good medicine to help him sleep soundly. Instead, Madam Pomfrey, oddly enough, became utterly surprised, scared, and stunned to see Remus in her presence.  
  
"Lupin?!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, looking at the three boys, and Remus on James' back. "What in the world are you three trying to do!?"  
  
"He was face down in the snow!" yelled James, trying to calm her down.   
  
"He looked like he was about to die!" cried Peter.  
  
Madam Pomfrey groaned loudly. She then spun around, frantically looking around the room.  
  
"The windows!" She screamed, rushing toward all of the open windows and hastily pulling the curtains close.  
  
"What are you—?" Sirius began, but was cut off by the sudden darkness that surrounded them.  
  
James, Sirius, and Peter looked curiously around the pitch-black infirmary room; they could no longer see even their hands in front of their own faces.  
  
"_Lumos_!" said James causing the room to be filled with light.   
  
"NO!" Madam Pomfrey cried rushing towards James. "Extinguish that light right _now_!"  
  
"O—okay." James jerked backwards and immediately said the counter spell, "_ N—nox_!"  
  
The room was once again enveloped with darkness; the three boys were utterly shaken and tense for words. The only thing they could hear was the sound of their heavy breathing and the rustling of Madam Pomfrey moving around the room hastily.  
  
"Quickly, put him down on this bed." She told them as she lit a small candle.  
  
The bed was positioned in the furthest corner of the room, and it was surrounded with curtains. James, with the help of Sirius, let Remus off of his back and onto the soft bed. It was the furthest bed away from the windows, and it puzzled them as to why Madam Pomfrey wanted them away all of it.  
  
She then hastily pulled out a long needle from her front pocket. At first, James thought it was some sort of dagger, but quickly realized it was just an injection. Madam Pomfrey then took Remus' left arm, felt around for the right spot then injected some sort of silvery substance into his body.  
  
"W—what's that?" Peter whimpered looking horrified at the size of the needle.  
  
"Oh, this? Why, this is a tranquilize—"  
  
"Poppy, it's not very nice to joke with the students!" said a voice that was unmistakably Professor McGonagall's. "That injection is just a medicine that will allow Mr. Lupin to feel better. He should be all right in the morning, though, I can't say the same about you three. You'll have to explain exactly _why_ you're out of bed at this time!"  
  
The three boys gulped. James, huddle his invisibility cloak close to him as he looked at their Professor. They really didn't have a good reason to tell her and they stood silently like three helpless animals awaiting their fate. Awaiting their punishment…  
  
"DETENTION! The lot of you! Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, got that?!" she yelled aloud, causing Remus to stir slightly.  
  
"Professor, where's your holiday spirit?" James pleaded, his face shifting into the saddest, loneliest face one had ever seen. "It's Christmas, and we just want to make sure Remus will be all right in the morning. Would you please, just this once, let us off?"  
  
Professor McGonagall sighed, "Fine, but this is the last and _only_ time I'm going to let you three off."  
  
"Thanks, Professor." Said Sirius, faking a smile.  
  
"Merry Christmas!" squealed Peter cheerfully.  
  
The three of them, secretly, grinned at each other and walked out of the infirmary toward the Gryffindor common room.   
  
They were able to worm their way out of detention this time, but even if they did, there were so many questions James wanted to ask. He had a really big feeling that the teachers, Dumbledore, and Remus were hiding something from everyone else. _If they are hiding something from us_, James thought to himself as they walked into the common room, _no matter what it is; I'm going to find it out._

-----------------------------------------------------

Professor McGonagall's prediction was very wrong. It actually took three weeks for Remus to recover completely so he didn't have a chance to join them for neither Christmas nor New Year's Day. Of course, James, Sirius, and Peter would frequently visit him once every day and tell him about what homework him had missed and other things.  
  
By the time he was released from the infirmary it was already the second week of January, and he was slightly behind in his classes, especially Potions. Fortunately for him, though, he had friends like James and Sirius who kept him in check with his homework when needed.  
  
"Would you put that book down just this once, mate? It's a weekend, enough reading!" Sirius groaned at Remus, relaxing his hands behind his head as they walked toward their usual spot under the oak tree. "We've been meaning to ask you exactly why you were near the Whomping Willow."  
  
Remus quickly closed his book and sighed. "I told you, I got lost in the snow and accidentally got hit by one of the Willow's frantic branches."  
  
Both James and Sirius frowned, the thoughts, "I don't buy it," and, "He's hiding something," ran through their brains. Peter, apparently, didn't have any problem with Remus' explanation, and Remus seemed rather grateful to Peter for doing so.  
  
"HEY!" yelled out a familiar sweet voice from not too far away. The voice came from Raven Crescent; the girl really looked up to Sirius, James, and Remus, and she did her best to contribute information to the group. She seemed like a very good and helpful friend.  
  
"What's up Ravie? Any interesting news?" Asked James excitedly.  
  
"Sort of, it's about that spooky ol' house down in Hogsmaede. I've been hearing a lot of odd rumors about it lately." She said, the tone of interest in her voice.  
  
"Rumors? Well even the ghosts avoid the place! I'm not surprised," smirked Sirius, combing his hair with his hand.  
  
James rumpled the back of his messy hair and motioned Raven to continue.  
  
"Well, for the passed four months, people have been saying that they're something moving around in that house," she explained to them, "there have been reports in the _Daily Prophet_ that there's been a lot screams, shrieks, and howls coming from it lately."  
  
"That _is_ odd." Peter admitted, frowning.  
  
"What's odd about it is that it only happens once a month! A lot of people are beginning to think it's some sort of vengeful spirit." Raven continued.   
  
"Once a month? Don't tell me; under a full moon?" implied James.  
  
"How'd you know? Anyways, folks and even the _Prophet_ are beginning to refer to it as the _Shrieking Shack_, so to speak. Huh? You feeling okay Lupin?"  
  
Remus appeared to have gone quite pale, his light brown hair partly covering his face. His hands seemed to be trembling and he hid them behind his back to avoid further questions.  
  
"Me? I'm fine." He replied calmly, color returning to his white cheeks. "It must be the weather…"  
  
"Well, all right," sighed Raven scratching her head, "anyways I need you to check over my notes for Defense Against the Dark Arts class. You don't mind, do you?"  
  
"No, no. It's all right. What's the topic?"  
  
"Werewolves." She smiled cheerfully, "It's the essay I chose to do for extra credit. It's interesting, don't you think?"  
  
"Quite." Remus murmured looking at her with interest. "I'll go ahead an look over it. Though I think I've had my fill of wolves."  
  
Raven giggled slightly, pulled out a small stack of papers and handed it to him. She then stood up, said good-bye, then walked away rather satisfied with herself. James snickered and nudged Remus lightly.  
  
"Wha—?"  
  
"She likes you!" laughed James patting Remus on the head.  
  
"She doesn't." Remus replied casually, skimming through the pages of Raven's report, "Even if she did, I'd probably turn her down."  
  
James' jaw dropped open and it stayed there for a few seconds.  
  
"W—why would you do that?!"  
  
"I can't fall in love." Said Remus again, his expression serious, he seemed to have no interest in the topic. This caught Sirius' attention and he eyed Remus strangely.  
  
"Can't fall in—? You're crazy! Everyone falls in love at one point in your life, right Sirius?" James exclaimed, his face going pale.  
  
"Speak for yourself." Sirius shrugged, rubbing his forehead in aggravation. "It's his decision. Remus isn't as girl-crazy as you are, mate. Face the facts."  
  
James frowned and gripped his hand firmly on Remus' shoulder. Remus on the other hand, seemed as though he wasn't enjoying a lecture on "how to fall in love" nor "why you should fall in love." Peter was sort of enjoying the chat, but then again, he enjoyed whatever James had to say even _if_ it was something incredibly stupid.  
  
"A world without love is—"  
  
"I get your point, James." Remus frowned, and slowly pushed James' hand off his shoulder. "But I have this—uh—physical—uh—problem."  
  
"You have _what_?!" shouted the three in unison.  
  
"I—I was just kidding!" exclaimed Remus; obviously sorry he had even spoken of the topic.  
  
James, Sirius, and Peter sighed in relief.  
  
"You scared us…!" Peter cried out.  
  
"Don't—Ever—Do—That—Again." Sirius panted.  
  
"Yeah, but do tell us if you really do have some sort of problem with yeh, mate. No matter what it is, we'll be right here for you!" James smiled putting his arm around their light brown haired friend.  
  
"No matter what it is…" Remus murmured, his face suddenly looking sullen and sad. James couldn't help, but feel worried. There was definitely something Remus was refusing to say to them, and it was something important…  
  
"You sure you're all right?" Sirius asked staring at him.  
  
"I think so." He replied looking up at them; their faces as he looked at them were solemn and worried, they were indeed really worried about him. He smiled gently at his friends and nodded, "Yeah, I'm all right." 

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**:: Dun Dun Dun ::**

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**_Next Chapter: The Passage_**

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I had to do quite a bit of research for this chapter because of some of the spells and stuff... If there's something wrong please point it out to me! Thanks very much! !


	13. Chapter 13: The Passage stupid title, ne...

**Celebrean**** - **I thought it would be interesting if I let them find him first. It sort of detective work for James, Sirius, and Peter. I should put it in mystery, but all of you already know what Remus really is, so it's not really a mystery. And Raven doesn't know, it's just mere coincidence.

**urges** - Er...Thanks for the comment/pointer/flame! I've never gotten all three from the same person before. I didn't realize that I switch elm and oak... I must have been thinking about the oak tree in my yard. Oh and if I got that howler, I wouldn't be too surprised ;. Harry really _was_ the youngest player in Quidditch after all, but it was just something I wanted to be put into this fanfic. So please forgive me! :bows:

**Author's Note: **Crap another Author's note! Suck at them! Well this chapter will become extremely confusing... and stuff. JKR own Harry Potter and I don't have a right to say I own anything except for some names I made up to move this fic along.

**

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**Chapter 13: The Passage**

The Gryffindor Quidditch team had begun practicing for their up coming game, and James, unfortunately, was not among their crew. The _real_ seeker, Blake Smith, was in perfect shape now and trained into the wee hours of the morning preparing for the game. Smith, apparently, had heard about James' amazing snitch catch, and he seemed to have become more determined to win for his team. At times he'd even go as far as asking James for tips and helpful hints on how to trick opponents or avoid bludgers.  
  
Even if James was a big help toward the team, Remus, Sirius, and Peter still had to do a lot of things to keep James' mind off Quidditch. It was most obvious to everyone that James missed being on the Quidditch Pitch, soaring through the air, and having his very own broomstick. Snape took great advantage of this and at whatever chance he had, he would humiliate the four of them in front of large groups of students. Even so, this humiliation, that Snape would try so hard to create, had no effect on James whatsoever.   
  
"The seeker reject!" exclaimed Snape, loudly one February afternoon.  
  
"Can it, Snivellus." Said James, lazily stretching his arms. "That is, unless you want me to hex you."  
  
"We can make arrangements; what do you say to tomorrow after Transfiguration, mate?" Sirius scoffed, brushing his hair out of his eyes.  
  
Snape scowled harshly at them then sped off in the direction of the Great Hall. Peter, as usual, cheered the two of them on, his yellowish hair looking ghastly white in the sunlight as they walked about aimlessly on the grounds. Remus, strangely enough, did not carry around with him his usual book.  
  
"Did you look over Raven's report?" asked Sirius in an interested manner. "Was it any good?"  
  
Remus pondered what to reply for a moment then said, "Yes, it was very thoroughly detailed."  
  
Sirius shrugged; apparently he was expecting a more complicated answer from Remus. James laughed aloud at the two of them and rested his arm on Peter's shoulder. Both Sirius and Remus looked strangely at James, he wasn't usually this cheerful. Laughing at something that wasn't really funny meant that there was definitely something on his mind.  
  
"Why yeh in such a fine mood, mate?" Sirius asked, eyeing him in suspicion.   
  
"Tonight—"  
  
"Oh no, I think I know what's coming." Remus frowned.  
  
"We'll be checking that place you found Peter." He continued, vividly picturing their adventure. "You still remember where it is, right?"  
  
Peter's white cheeks seemed to flush with red at the question, and the lot of them knew exactly what he was thinking. Remus sighed hopelessly. James ruffled his hair and shrugged.  
  
"Sorry…" whimpered Peter.  
  
"Don't worry, Peter, I still remember where it is." Remus comforted. "Though, I realized it's the same area Peeves the Poltergeist hangs about. I don't really understand why he hangs around there though."  
  
"Peeves?" James mouthed; he apparently hadn't met all of the ghosts and wondered how friendly this one was. "Who's that?"  
  
"You haven't met Peeves?" Peter asked his eyes round with awe. James could tell just by Peter's expression Peeves wasn't exactly the friendly type. James imagined it for a second, there were only two choices he could choose from; it was either this Poltergeist was really mean and evil or he was just way too friendly.  
  
"I, unfortunately, had the honor of meeting him in the bathroom." Implied Remus gritting his teeth at the memory. "It wasn't the most pleasant visit, I must say."  
  
"The bathroom? He goes in there, too?!" yelped Peter, clinging to James' arm.  
  
Sirius laughed, tugging lightly against his dark cloak. This conversation was beginning to interest him, and James was curious to know if Sirius had met him already…  
  
"I feel for yeh," Sirius snickered, lazily stretching his arms towards the sky as they continued to walk. "But unlike you two, Peeves and I were able to make a compromise."  
  
"Compromise, eh?" repeated Remus, looking at Sirius in wonder. "I've heard that some people who compromise with Peeves often ask for him to do his or her dirty work for them."  
  
"D-dirty work—?" Peter whimpered, thinking about it in his mind.  
  
"Ha! You seem to be on top of all the latest gossip, Remus, that doesn't sound like you." Sirius laughed, ruffling James' hair for no reason. "Yeah, I asked him to play a minor joke on Snivellus."  
  
"Mind sharing with us…?" James asked, looking at Sirius with great pride.  
  
"I just told Peeves to put five frogs into his pants," he replied calmly, chuckling at the thought. "Unfortunately, Snape saw me laughing..."  
  
"So that's why Snape has been following us around more than usual!" Remus frowned, rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
James smiled warmly at his three friends then up at the sky. He took a deep breath in then sighed. Their friendship was growing stronger; there is no possible way for them to break apart now. Peter noticed James looking up at the sky and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.  
  
"What's wrong?" Peter asked trying to be helpful.  
  
"Something on your mind?" Sirius added, lazily resting his face on his left hand.  
  
James closed his eyes, took of his round glasses, then opened them again.  
  
"Peeves, eh? Sounds like an interesting fellow…"

--------------------------------------

Transfiguration was the last class they had for the day. Professor McGonagall especially prepared today's lesson to be extremely challenging: changing large furniture into animals. Some of the stationary items they used were as big as bookcases and desks.  
  
By the end of class there were only two people who were able to transform anything, and only one person who was able to successfully transform it into a creature. James was obviously the one who succeeded in transforming a large bookcase into a small lizard. The other two people were Sirius Black and Lily Evans who both were able to make their items either groan, growl, or be fuzzy.  
  
"That was fun," said James as they walked out of the classroom after the lesson. "Though I think the lizard looked a bit disoriented."  
  
"You did fine, I'm sure you'll get full points, mate." Sighed Sirius, yawning.  
  
"Evans did a good job too." Peter interrupted, "She's so smart even if she's muggle-born!"  
  
"Being smart doesn't mean you have to be pure-blood, Peter." Said Remus, opening another one of his gigantic books: _Intermediate Transfiguration._  
  
"Then you're not a pure-blood, Remus?" Peter asked, not thinking very much about the question he had just asked.  
  
James blinked. That was a question that one must not ask, rather the person should tell them without being asked. Sirius shrugged.  
  
"I'm half." Remus said plainly, not seeming to mind at all.  
  
"Well anyways, Evans is really pretty too." Sirius nudged at James nearly knocking him over.  
  
James cocked his eyebrow upward at him.  
  
"Are you trying to tell me something, mate?" he asked, suspiciously.  
  
"Not really. Just saying that she might be prettier than you." Sirius retorted, grinning evilly.  
  
Peter and Remus chuckled at the comment, but James didn't seem that amused by it.   
  
"Are you suggesting that I'm pretty?" James wondered aloud, a grin very similar to Sirius' appeared on his haughty face. "I didn't think you were looking at me _that_ way, Sirius."  
  
Remus could no longer hold it in for he began laughing rather loudly. Peter, in turn, snorted uncontrollably. Several passing students giggled at the sight of the four of them. Sirius gave James a look of utmost revulsion; his joke had just backfired on him, and James had just struck him down once again. He snickered and patted Sirius on the back.  
  
"I was just kidding." James laughed. "Anyways, onto important matters. Remus, do you mind telling us where the secret passage—?"  
  
"Passage, huh?" sneered a low, sinister voice.  
  
Sirius knew who it was instantly and grimaced at hearing it. It was none other than his own cousin, Bellatrix Black, and her lackey, Rodolphus.  
  
"It's none of your business." He sneered angrily at the two.  
  
"Oh I think it is, little cousin, dear." She scowled back at him. Bellatrix was the Queen of all mischief _catchers_. She enjoyed wandering around Hogwarts looking for people who had secret plans to either sneak out of their common rooms or just cause trouble. Because of this, she had been awarded a plaque that was on display in the same place James' seeker plaque was.  
  
"They appear to be starting some sort of group, ma'am," said Rodolphus, eyeing the four of them. "Think we should report 'em?"  
  
Peter hid himself behind James to avoid contact with the two seventh years.  
  
"They're not even worth being reported," smirked Bellatrix flinging her hair to one side. "If they're really starting a group, what's it called? The _Idiotic Unmanageable Four Brats_?"  
  
Rodolphus laughed at the comment, and Bellatrix grinned at Sirius.  
  
The four of them stood silently, James clenching his fist, trying to keep from grabbing his wand and hexing her. Sirius kept glaring fiercely at them; he didn't know what to say except to just look at them coldly.  
  
"Well? Do you have a name or not?" She stammered, looking at them impatiently.  
  
"Of course we have a name!" Peter blurted out, his face flushed red from fright. This surprised James and Sirius; Peter was pretty brave to say anything after that. Even if it was brave, it was just like Peter to blurt out something extremely careless.  
  
Bellatrix and Rodolphus looked at Peter, stunned. Was this the same wimp they had nearly beaten up not too long ago? The yellow-headed boy seemed ever so slightly stronger. Was it his friends' influences? It stumped them as to how this boy had enough courage to even speak up.  
  
"Is that so…?" she asked, finally regaining herself, "Then what's your group called?"  
  
Peter buried his head in James' cloak for he did not know how to answer her question. This created a very brief silence.   
  
Remus' throat was rather parched and dry from dehydration, and he cleared his throat trying to see if he throat would feel better. It was hard to understand why he'd be so calm at a time like this. Now, all the attention was focused on him.   
  
A sly smile appeared on Bellatrix's face and she wondered what kind of joke they were trying to play on them.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"We are Purveyors of Aids." Remus croaked, trying to swallow all the saliva left in his mouth.  
  
James and Sirius looked at each other dumbfounded. Had Remus created a name for them already?  
  
"Strange name you got there! Purveyors of Aids? To whom?" Rodolphus laughed, tugging on his own cloak.   
  
Remus gave a calm grin toward the two of them and casually said, "Wouldn't you like to know?"  
  
Bellatrix pursed her lips and looked like she was about to attack Remus, but was rudely wakened when Professor McGonagall walked by. Instead she spat at them, took Rodolphus by the arm and walked away.   
  
Professor McGonagall saw what had happened and walked toward the four of them; her face quite pale. The four of them looked up at their Professor with no words to say; what did they do wrong this time?  
  
"What's was that about?" she asked them, eyeing the four with great concern. "I don't think I've ever seen Ms. Black spit at anyone in such a revolting manner before."  
  
"She's just jealous. Don't think about it too much, Professor." Said Remus casually.  
  
"My, my, Mr. Lupin, you're always to calm and casual aren't you? It's hard to believe that— Oh I mean—it's hard to believe sometimes." She replied, stumbling over a few of her own words.  
  
Remus' face looked as white as a ghost now and he grit his back teeth to keep from saying anything harsh to her, "Sh—shouldn't you be heading to your next class, Professor…?"  
  
Professor McGonagall seemed to catch the message Remus was trying to send and sighed.  
  
"You're right. Try not getting too involved with Ms. Black." She said walking away from the four.  
  
When she was finally out of sight, Peter rushed over to Remus, his eyes full of wonder and excitement.  
  
"Wow! Remus is as good as James and Sirius!" He squealed, hopping up and down. Remus smiled warmly at Peter's comment.  
  
"Tell me, mate, exactly what are we purveyors for?" Sirius asked curiously, hoping Remus would have an answer.  
  
"Purveyors of Aids to M.M.M." Remus replied confidently. "Can I have some of your water, James? I feel exhausted…"  
  
James pulled out a tin bottle full of water and handed it him. The parched boy took a deep drink, wiped his mouth, and handed it back. James took it with care and found that it was nearly empty already.  
  
"Mmm? As in really yummy?" asked Peter, licking his lips. It was getting close to supper, and you could really tell. Remus shrugged his shoulders and chuckled at the thought.  
  
"M.M.M. Stands for Magical Mischief-Makers." He replied smiling at them. "So we're the Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers."  
  
"Excellent name!" James exclaimed, looking rather impressed at Remus, "It's perfect! I probably wouldn't have thought of it myself."  
  
"Of course you wouldn't," Sirius smirked. "But for now, why don't we just call ourselves the Magical Mischief-Makers, I mean, we aren't purveyors yet, are we?"  
  
They all agreed at this thought, but also realized that they should use the name "Purveyors of Aids" toward other people, such as teachers, who ask them so it's not too obvious. Their excitement was suddenly interrupted when they heard the grumbling of Peter's small stomach.  
  
"Can we eat now…? I'm starving!" Peter whined, patting his stomach. 

---------------------------------

After supper, the four _innocent_ Mischief-Makers calmly, and happily walked up to their dormitories to get ready for their third real adventure around Hogwarts. Dangerous their adventure would be if they were to get caught by Filch or Mrs. Norris so they needed to come prepared with wands, invisibility cloak, and a rough sketch of Hogwarts that Remus sketched out.  
  
Since Christmas vacation was over, there were students around again, it was safe to say that there must be many people studying and chatting down in the common room before heading to bed. Not only that, but the Gryffindor Prefects were around to make sure nothing happens, no doubt, so it would be best not to act too suspicious as they walked out of the common room.  
  
"No whimpering, got that Peter?" Sirius stammered.  
  
"O—okay." He whimpered back.  
  
Sirius shrugged; at this rate, they'd be caught for sure! James shushed all of them and urged Peter out of their dormitory first. Peter struggled at first, but was soon persuaded by Remus who walked out with him. Sirius followed afterwards, jabbing his wand into his front pocket. When they all cleared the room, James closed the door behind him as he left the room, clutching his invisibility cloak under his arm in order to hide as much of it as possible.  
  
_Stay calm…Remain calm… _James repeated in his mind over and over. Upon reaching the bottom of the staircase they weren't surprised to see practically all the Gryffindors sitting by the fire talking and laughing to their hearts content. As the new arrivals into the room, the two prefects and several other students looked up at the four of them only out of mere instinct. With this mind, the four of them became extremely nervous; it seemed as though Peter was about to have a nervous break down.  
  
"B—Bathroom," James sputtered making a extremely noticeable fake smile, "Going to freshen up before bed."  
  
Sirius and Remus nodded in agreement as they dragged Peter quickly towards the door of where the Fat Lady was relaxing. James opened the door and politely said, "Excuse me," to her and allowed his other three friends to exit.  
  
"Why, aren't you a polite little boy tonight, Potter." Exclaimed the Fat Lady as James carefully closed the door, "You wouldn't happen to be up to no good, would you?"  
  
"Oh? What makes you think that?" smirked Sirius, walking quickly ahead of everyone.  
  
James, Peter, and Remus walked quickly as well in order to avoid further questions. When they finally reached the staircases, Remus stopped and motioned everyone to do the same.  
  
Everyone at Hogwarts knew that the staircases and even some of the classrooms were some how enchanted to keep rotating and changing positions. It was very easy for one to get lost in the castle if they were to walk around carelessly and did not pay attention to the routes one was taking.  
  
"So where is this passage way hiding?" asked James quietly. "Behind a tapestry? Statue? Suit of Armor? Are you positive this isn't another bathroom?"   
  
Remus nudged James rather hard in his side and gave him a look of warning then muttered under his breathe, "Try not to doubt Peter, he gets his confidence from _you_, James. You're his role model; he really looks up to you! Don't let him hear you say that…"  
  
James' cheeks grew hot; that was the first time anyone said that to him. He was a _role model_ for someone? That was something he just had to tell his family; they'd get a kick out of it! James Potter a role model for everyone to follow; it would be on the front page of the Daily Prophet if his family knew. The James Potter they knew was definitely not someone that _they_ could look up to as a _good_ role model.  
  
"Oh! Now I remember!" Peter squealed to them, "I went down the third staircase to pass by here— Look! —Here it comes!"  
  
The flight of stairs before them ascended to the next floor, suddenly moving away from their platform. The stairs moved to another platform, much like the one they were standing on, while another flight of stairs creaked toward them, taking the place of the former steps. This staircase was no longer ascending to the next floor; instead it was descending about two floors down.  
  
Seeing that the sun was now setting quickly, the floors below were now enveloped with blackness. James hesitated for a second then remembered what Remus had told him. Peter was counting on him…  
  
"Yeh first, mate!" James laughed, shoving Sirius ahead of them.   
  
"G—GAAHHHH!" He yelled loudly, leaping off the platform and speeding down the staircase unable to control how fast he was going. Sirius was leaping a few steps, running down a few more, then hopping down a few others. Soon enough, he disappeared into the darkness below and the only thing they could hear was the sound of his deep echoing voice. When his yelling finally ceased there came rather a loud _thud_ and an exhausted groan.  
  
Both Peter and Remus stared wide-eyed into the darkness of where Sirius had disappeared into then stared at James in the most horrified manner. James, who didn't expect Sirius to rush down the steps that quickly, crooked his mouth to the side, obviously at a loss for words. He then looked hesitantly toward Peter and Remus who were shivering constantly, backing away from James slowly.  
  
"Erm…" James croaked, rumpling his hair in embarrassment, "Who's next?"  
  
Both Remus and Peter pointed their quivering index fingers back at James obviously telling him that he should be the one to go down next.  
  
"Y—You guys are sending me to my grave!" he sputtered back at the two, "Sirius is going to kill me!"  
  
"I'm not going to kill you, mate." Exclaimed Sirius, his voice somehow carrying all the way from down there. "I'll just strangle you when you get down here!"  
  
"Would you two be quiet, Filch might be here any minute!"  
  
James sunk his head in defeat then quickly walked down the flight of steps, careful of traps, and hoping he didn't trip on his own feet.   
  
When he got to the very bottom, Sirius was there waiting for him, his face mighty pale from that fall he could have had if he tumbled down. His handsome face was full of perspiration and there were still marks of fear left on his face. His hair was no longer tidy and neat, rather it looked like an extreme gust of wind had blown up against his face causing his hair to stay in that strange, windswept position.  
  
Sirius had already lit the tip of his wand with the _Lumos_ spell causing a deep shadow to form across his face when his wand was held underneath his chin. James gulped, Sirius looked like he was about to _kill_ someone or something; the deep pools of black in his eyes seemed to swirl around uncontrollably causing James to feel light headed.  
  
"It was an accident, mate." Said James feeling dazed, his head still spinning.  
  
Sirius shrugged.  
  
"It's all right, be more careful next time. Here come Peter and Remus." He said aloud, patting James on the shoulder.   
  
Peter, being as clumsy as always, tripped on the last step and fell forward. Remus sighed, for once he wished Peter would watch where he was going. At the rate they were moving, Mrs. Norris could probably keep up with their pace.   
  
"Put that light away, would you?" said Remus calmly stroking some of his light brown hair from his lonesome face, "From upstairs it looks like the north star. Filch could probably see it from five stories up."  
  
Sirius frowned and quickly said the counter curse bringing the darkness back around them. James shrugged; this is the second time someone asked them to say the counter curse for _Lumos_. He found it rather annoying.  
  
"How do you expect to find our way around the corridor in this dark then?" asked Sirius, crossing his arms.  
  
Remus didn't answer him, instead a soft, crackling sound could be heard and a soft shimmering light filled the entire place. It looked like the moonlight was also peering into these corridors, but instead of a moon, it was fire. Remus looked like he was holding a hand full of small flames.  
  
James smiled confidently at their bookworm friend tapped him lightly on the back. Sirius, who had been frowning before, grinned widely at him while Peter quietly cheered him.  
  
"Where'd you learn how to do that?" James asked, looking into the handful of flames.  
  
"I'll show you the book later," he replied walking in front of them, "Let's get to the passage before someone suspects anything's wrong."  
  
Peter cheerfully led the way pointing out which direction to go. After what seemed to be more than ten minutes, Sirius began to have his doubts about this secret place. When ever he would try and speak up about it either James or Remus would immediately interrupt. Finally, Peter came to a stop…  
  
"Right here!" Peter exclaimed pointing at a plain, and what seemed to be an unimportant, wall.  
  
"A dead end…?" Sirius groaned, looking at the wall unsatisfied.  
  
"This is the place, Sirius, Peter showed it to me." Said Remus, holding the fire outwards toward the wall. "Open it, Peter."  
  
"I remember pressing this block—yay!" He squealed happily.  
  
The block was then pushed backwards and the wall slowly and steadily opened up. James stared at passage for a few seconds then wondered, there was something about this seemed very odd to him.  
  
"Peter, exactly _what_, were you doing down here in the first place?" he asked him, looking worriedly at the passageway.  
  
"I—I got lost?" replied Peter, his tone of voice very hesitant and questionable.  
  
"Peter," Sirius said, eyeing him strangely, "Someone told you about this passageway, huh? Remus do you know anything about this?"  
  
Remus shook his head innocently and said, "The first time I heard about this passageway, was when Peter was showing me where it was. When I saw it I told you about it, remember?"  
  
The three of them looked at Peter, their faces up in concern and very uncomfortable.  
  
"Where did you hear about this place?" James asked him, looking deep into the dark passage.  
  
Peter looked down at his feet, his face solemn and embarrassed. Peter didn't find this passage on his own… someone must have known—  
  
"I—I got lost… and ended up wandering around down here." He began, his voice suddenly sounding like he was crying. "It was this area where I saw Snape and two other Slytherins push the block and open up the passageway."  
  
"Snape?!" Remus exclaimed, jumping at the thought of it. "Why would he be down here?"  
  
"Wait a minute…" Sirius stared at the floor, "Snape and two other Slytherins…? I think I know where this passageway leads to."  
  
They all looked up at him in confusion and awe. Where could this passage lead? Why would Severus Snape know about this place, and exactly what would he be doing here? None of it added up! Sirius seemed to be the only one who was able to piece it together.  
  
"Where does it lead, mate?" James asked, rumpling his hair thoughtlessly. "Snivellus' personal bathroom?"  
  
"My family described it a few times to Regulus, I eaves dropped on them at the time. My so-called mum also described this place in one of her letters; it was a warning. I'm surprised I'm just realizing it now." Sirius started, his eyes motionless, staring at the floor. "We can be in grave danger if we're caught…"  
  
"G—grave danger?" Remus murmured, glancing from Sirius to the passage. "Filch technically can't hurt us…"  
  
"Who ever said I was talking about Filch?" Sirius grit his teeth. "I was talking about the _Bloody Baron_." 

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**:: Muwhahahahaha!! ::**

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**_Next chapter: Slytherin_**

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So how confusing was it? Was I successful in confusing you? Please tell me! Nyah :D


	14. Chapter 14: Slytherin

**Celebrean - **Another update ! o.x don't get lost down there... and be careful of-- oops! Almost spoiled where the passage leads! I confuzzled you... excelllleennt.... hee hee.

**Urges** - Thank you for accepting my apology! I read the whole thing, it wasn't as long as you think .! Heh, I try replying to people, and I try to post two chapters per day. I can't say I will keep up with that pace forever...

**Author's Note:** Another chapter! Wooo hooo! Erm... yeah.. JKR's cool, and I'm still in school. Uhh...forget it. I'm never good at poems. Rhyming gives me a headache 

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**Chapter Fourteen: Slytherin**

"The—the _Bloody Baron_?" Peter gapped, clutching to James' arm. James, who had rolled up his sleeves because of the heat, was extremely uncomfortable letting him clutch his arm for Peter's small hands seemed to be sweating bullets. He could feel the perspiration dripping along his arm, and he shuddered, not daring to look down at it.  
  
"It's okay, Peter…" James comforted, the ends his mouth twitching at the sudden grip Peter had on his poor arm, "…The Baron wouldn't be down 'ere. Now _please_, let go of my arm…"  
  
"B-b-bu-but!" Peter pleaded, his eyes seeming to well with as just as much tears, as there was sweat on his hands. "Look at Sirius' face! He doesn't look like he's joking!"  
  
Remus nodded; James seemed to be the only one not fooled by Sirius' hearty joke, or so he thought it was a joke. Sirius' face was stern and emotionless as he stared at the three of them.  
  
"What's with the look, mate?" James asked cocking an eyebrow upward, "You _are_ just joking, right?"  
  
Sirius shrugged his shoulders and heaved a sigh of hopelessness. James frowned and rumpled the back of his head as usual; Sirius had a habit of joking around a lot, and at times one couldn't decipher whether or not he was or was not. This appeared to be one of those times, and James wasn't too happy with himself about it. He'd known Sirius for about six months now and he still didn't know enough about him nor any of his friends to pass a short quiz about them if Professor McGonagall gave it out for extra credit.  
  
"In that case, what makes you think the Baron's down here anyhow?" he asked quickly, gently brushing Peter off his arm.  
  
"Peeves." Replied Sirius, sternly not a single quaver in his voice. The handsome young chap glanced around cautiously, his deep black eyes flickering along with the flames Remus held in his palm. "The Baron's the only one Peeves will ever listen to."  
  
"Are you saying that's the reason Peeves hangs around down here?" asked Remus, curiously, holding the flames up higher. "I'd say that was a good reason, Sirius, but there can be many other reason why Peeves could hang around down in a place like this."  
  
"Think about it, _Snape_ and _two other Slytherins_ were down here." Sirius accented the two words hinting that they were both important things to realize. Even with this James was stumped; there wasn't any luck with Remus either for yawned, as if to be completely uninterested.  
  
Sirius was about to give another sigh when Peter gasped, his round eyes bright and awake. The rest of them turned their attention to him.  
  
"Slytherin!" he exclaimed, his round face up in excitement, "I get in now, Sirius, you're saying this passage way leads to the Slytherin House; the common room!"  
  
Sirius grinned widely at Peter and proudly said, "Gee, Peter, I have to give some credit. You're the last person I expected to get that one."  
  
"Bloody brilliant, Peter!" James exclaimed, smiling.  
  
Both James and Remus looked at each other; Sirius had tried to make it completely obvious to them, but instead of taking the hints they had been given, they decided to think completely out of the box. It made perfect sense to them now.  
  
Everyone knew that Severus Snape never had any friends, so the reason there were two others with him was because he just happened to run into two other people from his house as they walked into their common room. And the reason Peeves hung around here was because the Bloody Baron was the Slytherin ghost! It was only proper for Peeves who looked up to/was afraid of the Baron to hang with him.  
  
"Case closed." James laughed, getting in between Peter and Sirius, and putting his arms around them. "I suppose we don't have to investigate this passage. That is unless any of you _want_ to."  
  
Everyone shook their heads vigorously; the last thing on their minds as first years was _not_ to mess with the Slytherin house, especially since they were all Gryffindors. Sure, they could mess with Snape all they wanted to, the git didn't have any friends anyway so what was the big deal? And Bellatrix was Sirius' problem and when Bellatrix was involved so was Sirius, it was their fight and no one could possibly cut in between them. So the Mischief-Makers technically weren't messing around the Slytherin House.  
  
It was their moment of happiness for they had found another secret place in Hogwarts; no matter if it was the Slytherin house, it was still a rare finding. Everyone wondered where in all of Hogwarts the Slytherin House was located, but no one would even speak of it; the Slytherins were just too proud to share that information with everyone.   
  
Unfortunately, their joyous moment was stopped and everyone fell silent. An eerie creaking noise echoed through the corridor, causing James to freeze in his tracks and look back into the deep dark passage. The sound came from within the passage and it resembled that of an old rickety door whose hinges had not been oiled for months. The four of them gulped, and without even looking back to see who it was, they quickly scrambled away ignoring any kind of pain or jab that seemed to get in their way.  
  
"Remus, put out that light would you?!" Sirius stammered, looking back at him as they turned another corner.   
  
"That's a smart idea!" Remus huffed, trying to keep up with his friends. Instantly, the place grew dark again; being used to the light, their eyes were blinded at first, but they continued to run It was far too dangerous down there, and the only safe place they knew was back in _their_ common room.  
  
Just as they saw the first small glimpse of moonlight from the stairway something jumped in front of them. To their horror and bad luck, that something turned out to be Peeves the Poltergeist. Sirius who had been running in front didn't have enough time to stop, and accidentally ran right through the translucent poltergeist.   
  
"A—Ah!" Sirius muttered stumbling to the ground, his teeth chattering uncontrollably, "S—So cold!"  
  
"Naughty Gryffindors…" Peeves mocked, "'ey lookie 'ere! INTRUDERS! INTRU—"  
  
"Shut it! We don't have time for this!" Sirius growled, getting to his feet, and grabbing Peter's wrist. The two of them ran around Peeves and up the staircase before them. James followed them, running at the same pace and speed. But Remus, on the other hand, took the time to apologize to Peeves then run after his friends.  
  
The four of them didn't stop running until they finally came before the door to the Fat Lady in which they all collapsed from exhaustion.   
  
The Fat Lady looked down at the four of them her plump face frowning at the sight of them.  
  
"_G—gelu Feles_." Remus panted, looking up at the Fat Lady with his normally tired eyes.  
  
"I _knew_ you lot were up to no good! What kind of mischief did you do this time?"  
  
"Just open the bloody door!" Sirius stammered, struggling to his feet.  
  
The Fat Lady pursed her lips angrily and the door swung open. The four of them stumbled through the doorway all at once and were surprised to see their prefects and Professor McGonagall staring down at them with particularly suspicious faces.  
  
"Hello Professor…" James smiled trying to keep a casual tone in his voice.  
  
"Don't you 'hello professor' to me!" she exclaimed, the tone in her voice rising, and the anger in her eyes building. "Sweet talk won't you buy you out of this one, Potter! Now, explain yourselves! It's passed ten o'clock; you lot should be in your dormitories by now! Lupin, I want you to keep your mouth shut!"  
  
Remus, who had opened his mouth to talk first, quickly shut it, and sadly looked at his friends. It was most apparent Professor McGonagall that Remus was the kind of person to create a really good excuse for his friends. Sirius frowned; he was depending on Remus to begin with, and none of them had a speech prepared keep from getting punished.  
  
"No explanation? Very well then, detention, all fou—"  
  
James waved his arm as if to ask her wait; "Not all four of us! It was my fault! I was the one who made them come with me to the—"  
  
"Bathroom!" Sirius said quickly, cutting James off in order for him not to take all the blame. "James—James is frightly scared of the dark!"  
  
James stared horrified at Sirius; now all the prefects, teachers, and students would think that he, James Potter, was afraid of the dark!   
  
The two prefects looked at each other and remembered what James had said before they left and both found this explanation to be quite accurate. "I remember; Potter _did_ say they were going to the bathroom." Mumbled the female prefect.  
  
"That maybe so, but that still doesn't answer the question as to why you four were down there for over two and a half hours!" said McGonagall, her face still flush with fury.  
  
"We were there for that long?!" Remus gasped; his face faulting into one of the saddest faces one had ever seen. Then he whispered, "My essay… that was the time I was going to use to finish my essay…"   
  
"James and I played a joke on Peter," said Sirius, his face serious and stern. "And it sort of backfired on us."  
  
"Peeves came along too!" Peter exclaimed, his face as white as snow, the poor boy didn't want to dare say anything, but did anyway. "He gave us a—a really big scare!"  
  
The two prefects nodded in agreement; Peeves was occasionally seen in the bathroom. The explanation seemed to also check out with Professor McGonagall since the anger in her face disappeared. Even if _that_ explanation checked out, James felt like they were still going to bite the big one; and he was very right.  
  
"Lupin, I want you to take Mr. Pettigrew up to your dormitory with you." She said her eyes not leaving James' nor Sirius' faces.  
  
"But—But Professor!" Remus pleaded, his feet still planted in the same position it had been; it seemed that he wasn't going to move.  
  
"Didn't you have an essay to do?" she asked trying to keep from exploding. "GO DO IT!"  
  
"Y—yes ma'am." Remus gulped, dragging Peter up the stairs of his dormitory and disappearing from sight.  
  
Neither James nor Sirius could blame the two of them; they obviously brought this fate upon themselves by saying that they played a joke on Peter. When they heard the distant slam of their dormitory door, Professor McGonagall spoke loud and clear to the two of them.  
  
"This is the _second_ time!" she screamed, her pale face turning as red as a ripe apple. "You two look like the type to get into more trouble as the years go by. You're likely to get into even worse trouble! I don't expect to hear anything else from you two for the rest of the year, got that?"  
  
James and Sirius tried their best to look as though they had learned their lessons, but deep with in their minds there was a voice whispering, "Like we'd _ever_ learn our lessons." The two of them tried their best to keep from laughing at the thought of it.  
  
"So you're letting us off again?" James asked his face suddenly bright with relief, "But I thought you said that you'd never let us off again."  
  
"Who said I was letting you off?" she gasped looking at them with surprise, "You're going to have to write me an essay on everything about transfiguration on four rolls of parchment!"  
  
"E—everything!?" the two of them exclaimed in astonishment.  
  
"Yes, everything, like all the types of transfiguration, etcetera. Good luck, I want it done by the end of the day tomorrow. Turn it to me at my class room." She said calmly walking toward the door out of the common room, "Have a pleasant sleep."  
  
She then closed the door behind her and the two prefects went up to their dormitories, obviously, exhausted by the look on their faces. James and Sirius walked up the step of their tower grumbling and complaining, but when they opened the door into their room they immediately stopped.   
  
Remus and Peter had been waiting for them; Remus had hardly written anything on his roll of parchment that was set out on his bed, and Peter had been pacing around like an old man. Sirius and James realized that it wouldn't be the best idea to just complain to the two of them for it would only make them feel even worse than they already were.  
  
"You didn't get detention, did you?" Peter asked, concern in his round face.  
  
"I should have spoken up. We should have taken the punishment too." Said Remus, not wanting to look at his two friends straight in the face.  
  
"Punishment? What are you two sulking on about?" James laughed, his face as bright as usual, "It's not like we got detention or anything."  
  
"Just a small essay, mate." Sirius added combing his hair with his hand as usual. "It'll be a breeze; don't get on about this. It's nothing too bad."  
  
Peter and Remus sighed in relief and both sat back on their beds. James walked over to his luggage and propped one open in order to get his sleepwear.  
  
"What topic is this essay on?" Remus asked as interested as one could possibly be.  
  
"Everything on transfiguration." Replied James, plainly, as he popped his head out of the top of his shirt.   
  
"Oh! That's a very interesting topic." Remus implied quit ready to start a conversation about it. "Do mention _Animagi_, 'kay James? Professor McGonagall will love it if you do."  
  
"Why would she love it…? Besides the fact that she teaches the subject." Sirius wondered aloud scratching his head as he did so.  
  
"Don't you know, Sirius?" Peter asked his eyes round with awe. "Professor McGonagall _is_ an Animagus!"  
  
"Yeah, can transform into a cat, that McGonagall." James laughed, plopping onto his bed. Sirius looked at all of them curiously and it was rather obvious that he didn't know about her strange transformations. James looked at Sirius sympathetically and said, "Don't worry, mate, everyone learns something new."  
  
It was not long before each one of them was lying on their beds with their blankets tucked around them. James rested his hands behind his head as his laid their staring up at top of his poster-bed.  
  
"Hey Sirius?" James said softly not looking up, he wasn't sure if his good friend had already fallen asleep. There came no reply, so he tried again, "Hey mate?"  
  
_He must be sleeping already_, he thought. James sighed deeply and scratched his head. It took a good fifteen minutes until his eyes suddenly began to feel heavy. They drooped ever so slowly till they were closed all the way, and the poor boy was finally asleep… 

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_Move out of the way, worthless blood traitor._

No! James thought frantically, his mind racing. Who was this man? Why did he want him out of the way? Surely he'd move out of the way without a second thought, but there was something about the situation that made him think twice.   
  
There was nothing but darkness that surrounded him; he could no longer see anything or anyone there. Wasn't he just in his dormitory with his friends? Where were Sirius, Peter, and Remus? Were they all right? There was something that utterly pained him when he thought about them, but why? It wasn't like they'd ever betray him…  
  
More questions popped into James' head and he felt like he was swirling, lost in the dark. Where did that voice come from? Why did it want him to move out of the way? He had nothing to hide! He was just James Potter, an innocent bystander! 

_You're frightened… Scared… I can see it in your eyes._

James began to breathe heavily glancing around frantically trying to get a glimpse of something or someone. There was nothing; he felt so alone; it was like no one cared for him. He could feel the evil that filled the air; it made him shudder and feel uneasy. He began patting his all of his pockets trying to search for his wand. The minute his fingered it, he pulled it out and at the ready staring deeply into the dark that awaited him.  
  
Then something moved behind him, he gasped and spun around. There, before him, stood about what looked to be thirteen cloaked people. They all towered over him looking down with their dark eyes, which pressed harshly against him.  
  
Among the group of cloaked people, there were, to his surprise, some he could recognize. The first person he saw made his eyes nearly pop out of his sockets, _is that…Sirius? No. It can't be… but they look so much a like… Could it be Regulus, his brother?_   
  
The next person he recognized was Bellatrix Black, then Rodolphus Lestrange, then Rabastan Lestrange (Rodolphus' brother), and then two others that also looked very familiar. Unlike the faces of Bellatrix's and Rodolphus', these two faces were shrouded in mist, it was almost as if something kept him from seeing their faces.  
  
In the very center of this group that surrounded him was a man. He looked extremely sinister and evil and by far the worst one James laid his eyes on. This man was the voice that called to him… and he seemed to be the master of the group. _Death Eaters_, said a voice from inside his head, _they're Death Eaters_. 

_You will die at my hands. At my wand, Potter. Be ready for it… You and your unworthy family will be no more._

James felt as though his body had gone rigid, he could no longer move. The wand that he had in his firm grip clattered to the floor leaving him helpless. The man lifted his wand to James' neck and his lips curled. James could feel his heart beat in his throat as the wand leveled itself under his chin. He had never felt this scared in his entire life. He was going to die at the hands of this mad man, and he couldn't do anything about it. The so-called Deatheaters behind the man were all laughing excitedly at him. They were excited to see him die… One of two Deatheaters that James couldn't decipher at first became half visible… "Pe—?" 

_Avada Keda—_

"James!"  
  
James' eyes shot open at sound of his name, and he blinked as he looked up to see Sirius, Remus, and Peter staring down at him. It took him a while to fully recover from that nightmare. When he did, he realized that he had in fact fallen off his bed and was sprawled out on the floor at the base of it. All of his friends were staring down at him with both concerned and frightened looks.  
  
"You went all rigid!" Peter gasped, shivering uncontrollably. "And your face was all pale and… and!"  
  
"Your palms were sweating, but your whole body felt cold to the touch." Implored Remus trying to help James up, "Sirius was the most concerned though, and he was about to run to Dumbledore saying that you had died. He even started tearing—!"  
  
"I didn't go _that_ far, Remus." Sirius scowled harshly, his cheeks apparently turning red with embarrassment. "As long as you're all right, mate. You were also talking in your sleep that's why I knew you were still alive."  
  
Sirius had given Remus a small glare, but Peter, on the other hand, was quite puzzled by Sirius' explanation.  
  
"But when James started talking in his sleep, you thought he was possessed, Sirius!" Said Peter innocently, looking at him with concern.  
  
Remus burst out into a fit of laughter, and Sirius turned the color of crimson. James, who had sat up, smiled weakly and tried groping around his desk for his round glasses. Upon grabbing them, he put them on and looked them; it was clearly passed 10 o'clock and none of them were wearing their uniforms. This startled James so he tried to stand up, but only ended up collapsing to his knees again.  
  
"Hey, mate!" Sirius muttered, walking over to him, "Take it easy! It's Friday today."  
  
"Friday? But we have class—"  
  
"Class…? Have you already forgotten? First years have Friday's off!" Remus smiled patting James on the shoulder. "Take your time to recover. You'll need it, I mean having a dream about that mass muggle murderer—"  
  
"What!?" James said in astonishment, "How'd you know it was—? I didn't even know who it was!"  
  
Sirius, Remus, and Peter stared at James with a look of shock and despair. It was awkward for James; it was _his_ nightmare! He didn't even know who the man was in his dream so how could they know for sure it was the muggle murderer? Were they psychic? No, only very small amounts of people are psychic, and most of them are very troubled people.  
  
"James, didn't you know what you were saying…?" Peter spoke out, his tone going all airy.  
  
James shook his head, "I didn't say a bloody word!"  
  
Remus and Sirius looked horrified at the reply and hesitated to say what James had been whispering while he was asleep. Peter on the other hand began quivering again, but Sirius conked him on head and told him to stay calm.  
  
"Well, what did I say?" he asked them, impatiently awaiting an answer.  
  
"You only said a phrase, James, but you kept repeating it over and over again." Remus began, gulping down some saliva in his mouth so that he could continue to talk.  
  
"It sounded like you were straining," added Sirius, rubbing his forehead.  
  
James waited for them to finish, it seemed like forever had gone by when they finally said it.  
  
"_The Dark Lord Voldemort_." Murmured Remus, "Those were your exact words." 

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**:: Uh Oh ::**

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**_Next Chapter: Coincidence?_**

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Well it's getting closer to chapter 17 now isn't it? I've only got up to 17 done so when that chapter has finally been posted... my posts will come slower than before... Reviews help me to work faster! Also, my computer seems to be down for the time being... Hopefully it doesn't wipe out my entire story .!

I shall warn you right now. The next chapter that's coming up will consist of a fight between our beloved Marauder's Four. I know, I know, they're supposed to be friends forever during their time at Hogwarts and stuff, but reality just isn't like that, ya know? So please don't flame me saying that they shouldn't be fighting because it's just not realistic to me. Thankies!


	15. Chapter 15: Coincidence?

**Author's Note:** Thanks for everyone who's been reviewing! Here's the next chapter . It becomes kind of slow and boring... for a while... and I find the ending... rather weird as well. Tell me what you think please! JKR has claim to everything Harry Potterish.

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**Chapter Fifteen: Coincidence?**

The days went by excruciatingly slow after that day. Valentine's Day passed without as much as a hello and good bye for James, and it seemed as though the days ahead weren't going to becoming any brighter. The phrase Remus had to him he said haunted him at night and pressed against his mind during the day. None of it made any sense. Because of these thoughts that ran through is mind, James became extreme depressed. Nothing, not even his best friends could cheer him up.  
  
Sirius had tried, but eventually gave up trying. He even stopped hanging around his good friend, and was often seen walking around aimlessly with Peter along tagging behind him. Remus had also begun to keep his distance; the boy was now very reluctant to speak toward anyone.  
  
The beginning of Magical Mischief-Makers seemed to be coming to an end already. From time to time James would think about what drove him to become so far removed from the people around him; was it because of Voldemort? Or maybe it was because he wasn't sure if that dream was predicting his own death or not. The more he thought about it the more depressed and deprived he became.  
  
James sighed as he stared up at the light blue sky, one Saturday afternoon. A week had passed since that day, and he lazily sat under the same oak tree as usual, though he was no longer in the company of his three other friends. The loss of his companions disturbed him greatly and wondered if Sirius would still enjoy visiting over at his house. Then again, he was the one who had been telling Sirius to leave him alone for four days straight. If Sirius refused, James couldn't blame him.  
  
The blue sky began to grow darker as time passed, but even so, James didn't seem to notice it at all. The wind seemed to blow soothingly through his messy hair, calming him ever so slightly. He then sat up; he was far too young to be moping around like this. People would think he had gone mental or something. If Severus Snape ever caught him on a day like this, the lad would probably be able to reveal to all what a fraud James' really was inside.  
  
"I wonder what Remus, Peter, and Sirius are up to…" James wondered aloud, rumpling the back of his hair as usual.  
  
It had become far too awkward between the four of them; at one point James tried starting a conversation with Remus, but the both of them had been extremely reluctant to say anything except a decent greeting. James' relationship with Sirius was far worse though; Sirius wouldn't even stand to look at James at all! Peter seemed neutral in the whole thing, but didn't dare talk to James because of Sirius.  
  
He shrugged at the thought of it all; it didn't have to be like this. He regretted ever telling Sirius to leave him alone, but it was much too late to change any of it now. An apology would be best during a time like this, but James just didn't have enough courage to walk up to his old pal and tell him either.  
  
He stood up without another thought. The poor boy felt hungry anyway; dinner was going to be served soon so he might as well just go down to the Great Hall and wait. If he was going to think about extremely horrible things for the rest of his life, he'd probably die from depression before that Voldemort guy even got a chance to reach him.  
  
As James walked across the freshly cut grass of the Hogwarts' grounds he suddenly got an odd feeling that someone was staring down at him from above. Blinking, he stopped and looked up; he saw nothing but clouds in the sky and the castle's tower that towered over him. The _Gryffindor Tower_, James thought to himself, _I wonder where my dormitory room is_. He stared around at the tower for what seemed to be a good five or six minutes until his mind finally pointed him to a small window, which appeared to be pretty high up.  
  
James had no apparent reason for looking up at his own dormitory room except for the fact that he wanted to get a look of it from the outside. If he had a broom right now, he could just fly up there, but then again, he'd risk being expelled. James realized that he couldn't see the inside of his room from where he stood and so, being as curious as he was, he began to slowly step backwards.  
  
_One step…two step…three…four… _James thought to himself as his slowly and steadily moved backwards, _come on! I should be able to see—Gah!_  
  
Out of pure clumsiness, and the fact that he wasn't paying any attention to where he was walking, James had run into someone causing both of them to stumble to the ground.  
  
"Ow! Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to run into you, honest!" he exclaimed standing up. Looking down at who ever he walked into, he gulped, "A—are you alright, Evans?"  
  
Lily Evans was the last person James thought he would run into, literally, on a day like this. All the books that she had been carrying in her extremely little handbag were now scattered all over the floor. Feeling excruciatingly guilty for knocking her down, James helped her up then quickly set off to pick up all of her books.  
  
"I'm fine," she replied. "But you really should watch where you're going next time, Potter."  
  
"Right, sorry." James mumbled, as he struggled to get another large book into his arms. It really amazed him to see this many books in one place; Evans' collection would deffinitly put Remus' to shame. "Here I got seven of your books, how many more do you have?"  
  
"I was carrying twenty-one in my bag." She replied to him, taking the seven books from him and shoving them in her small handbag.  
  
James stared at her for a brief moment then asked, "Twenty-one books in a small bag like that?! What do you need them for anyway?"  
  
"I used a Compressing charm," she told him smiling, "I thought it would be a good idea to read ahead during the weekends."  
  
He smiled back at her then went to collect the rest of them. It must have taken them about twenty-five minutes to gather all they could find, but when they placed them into her handbag they only contained twenty of the twenty-one books.   
  
Evans looked through her small collection to see what book was possibly missing from her collection while James glanced around for it. Seeing that James had really keen eyesight, he was able to spot it almost instantly.  
  
"Found it!" James exclaimed, picking up the last book and flipping through it, "_ History of Magic_ by _Bathilda Bagshot_, eh? You know, Remus has thi—" he stopped mid-sentence and stared at the book. No matter what he did, he couldn't bring himself to forget about them.  
  
Evans caught James' sentence and looked at him curiously, "Lupin has what…?"  
  
"This book." He replied plainly, and gave a sigh of remorse.  
  
The red headed girl looked at James sadly, her brilliant green eyes looked as if she had been hurt just as much as James. James noticed this immediately and tried to change the topic, "Where are you heading? The common room?"  
  
Evans, her face still up in concern, took her book from him and placed it within her bag. She had apparently realized that James was trying to change topics; she didn't seem very pleased with him about it.  
  
"Why are you so full of yourself?" she wondered aloud; she obviously said it loud enough for James to hear since he was taken aback by the insult.   
  
She glanced back at James, who had his mouth hanging open, and then strode off as if nothing had ever happened. Usually when someone insults him like that he'd get all angry, but for some odd reason he didn't feel like doing a single thing about it; instead, for some strange reason it gave him an eerily good feeling.   
  
It wasn't until James heard his stomach rumbling that he was finally awoken from his daydream. With Evans completely out of sight now and no one else around, it was only necessary for him to go down to the Great Hall. 

-----------------------------------------

James wasn't very surprised when Sirius, Peter, and Remus didn't show up for dinner; it really didn't matter much to him anymore. He found the fact that Evans kept glancing toward him to be more interesting to him than his friends not being here. Even so, he knew the reason she was looking at him; she was worried, not only for him, but for Sirius and the others as well.  
  
"Why doesn't she mind her own business…?" he murmured to himself as he rested his head on his hands after finishing his meal.   
  
He yawned; it was getting late, but he didn't feel like going back to the Gryffindor tower just yet. He didn't feel like facing Sirius in the state he was in right now.  
  
The lonesome James Potter stood up from his seat and walked out of the Great Hall's humongous double doors, dragging his feet ever so slowly. Not very many people seemed to notice him, and he felt as though he was still wearing his invisibility cloak. As he walked through the corridor, he looked out at the sky outside. The sun was finally setting and sky was the brilliant color of crimson; it was an extremely beautiful sight to see.  
  
_A nice stroll outside should do me some good_, he thought as he sloppily dove his hands into his front pockets, mindful that his wand was poking out from one of them. The night air calmed his mind, and he was able to catch sight of the first stars to be shown in the sky. As much as he loved being outside and continue stargazing, he knew that he would have to head for the common room in a few minutes.  
  
Just as he was about to head toward the first floor corridor, a dark figure of a person emerged from behind one of the nearby trees. James froze; he stared at the figure as it walked out of the shadows and into the open. The moon apparently, hadn't risen into the sky yet, and because of James' dark clothes it was really hard to notice him standing there. The figure apparently hadn't seen him since it didn't even take the time to glance back at him; there seemed to be more import things on its mind.  
  
Being as nosy as always, James' initiative was to follow this suspicious character. He trailed, not too far behind, but tried to keep his distance just in case it was Voldemort or something. As he crept closer he realized that the features of this person were quite familiar and became quite shocked when he saw who it turned out to be.  
  
"That can't be — _Remus_?" James gasped; he said it rather loudly so he had to quickly clasp his hands over his own mouth.  
  
The suspicious character jumped, turned, and looked frantically around as if he had heard his own name then sprinted away. James' question had been answered. It really was Remus, James could recognize his tired eyes and light brown hair from anywhere; the only question now was what he was doing and where he was going. Unfortunately, he was unable to answer these two questions for trouble once again bumped into him.  
  
"Well, well, well… What do we have here, huh Rodolphus?" remarked Bellatrix, a sly smirk appearing across her face. "One of the so-called Purveyor of Aids!"  
  
James narrowed his eyes, but didn't dare say a thing. Bellatrix and Rodolphus were among the people he had seen in his dream, among the group of _Deatheaters_ that laughed at him…  
  
"It seems the leader has been dismissed from office!" Rodolphus added in, his eyes seemed to be shining excitedly, "They don't talk no more, do they? Almost _everyone's_ noticed it!"  
  
Bellatrix cackled and exclaimed, "Maybe now Sirius will act like a _real_ Black! I tried warning him not to hang around with blood traitors, half-bloods, and mudbloods! You get lost in that kind of crowd and you'll just get trampled!"  
  
"We tried telling him to forget about you, Potter. That you're not worth of becoming his friend." Rodolphus said to James, frowning, "But he wouldn't listen! He still insists that you're his friend."  
  
James was really surprised by this; Sirius still insists that they're friends? He had been a fool to think that Sirius would never forgive him, a fool for being too scared to see it.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Rodolphus, Sirius'll come around." Bellatrix said smugly, "At the rate this idiot is going, Sirius will never forgive him."  
  
James' folded his arms and grinned largely. He had never felt so angry and satisfied in his entire life and he just wanted to say something to let out all of his anger, "Is that so? I beg to differ. If all you're going to do is insult me all day you'll have to excuse me because I have much more important things to attend to."  
  
James knew he had said much too much, and if he was run away now they'd only jinx or hex him so he would get away. James, who still had his hands in his pockets from earlier, fingered his wand gently from beneath his cloak; he was trying not to make it look too obvious. Being as clever as he was, he already had a plan to escape from them.  
  
"How dare you speak to me like that you blood traitor!?" Bellatrix screamed, pointing her wand at James' torso.  
  
This deffinitly reminded him of his nightmare, and he wanted to get out of the way as quick as possible.   
  
He slowly pulled his wand from his pocket, poked the very tip of it out of his cloak so it wasn't seen completely and yelled, "_Expelliarmus_!"  
  
Both Bellatrix's and Rodolphus' wands went flying out of their hands and landing some twenty or thirty feet away from them. With the wands away, James was free to run; and that's exactly what he did. Not that he wanted to act like a coward, but because Sirius would have wanted to be the one to beat up on them.  
  
"YOU!" she screeched, trying to chase after him. "Rodolphus get our wands, _now_ !"  
  
Rodolphus was quick to oblige as she tried tackling James. She missed by only centimeters, and James was rather thankful for the fact he could run pretty fast; any slower and he would have been crushed by Bellatrix' great weight.  
  
Without a second thought, James ran straight to the Fat Lady, screamed the password ("_GODRIC GRYFFINDOR_!"), ran through common room, passed all the busy students, up the stairs of his tower, and into his dormitory room. Upon slamming the door behind him, the exhausted, messy-haired boy collapsed to all fours. He expected neither Peter nor Sirius to tell James anything, but oddly enough they welcomed him in with great applause.  
  
"James! That was amazing!" squealed a voice that was most definitely Peter's.  
  
"Amazing…?" James huffed, "What was…amazing?"  
  
"You were," said Sirius, a large grin appearing on his handsome face. "I told you not to stand up to Bellatrix, yeh stupid git. Even so, I must admit that it was still bloody—"  
  
"BRILLIANT!" exclaimed Peter, the tone of awe and excitement in his voice.  
  
James looked up at them; his face was red with exhaustion from running the whole ways. He spoke in a croaking voice and asked, "You saw me, but how?"  
  
Sirius and Peter looked at each other and laughed.  
  
"Our dormitory has the view of the oak tree we like to sit around," said Sirius chuckling, "Don't you remember looking up? I don't know what in the world you were trying to do, but it looked like you were trying to get a glimpse of our room."  
  
James blinked; he was trying to remember what he was doing… Then it suddenly hit him.  
  
"You're really clumsy," said Peter smiling, "running into Ms. Evans like that!"  
  
He found himself turning the color of pink, but refused to let neither Sirius nor Peter see it. James rubbed his face furiously trying to keep from turning really red.  
  
"It seemed like you enjoyed it though," remarked Sirius, laughing, "I wonder what you were gazing at when she was leaving…"  
  
James shook his head vigorously, and yelled, "I'm not that kind of person, Sirius!"  
  
They all laughed about it in the end. James and Sirius were acting as if nothing had ever happened between them, and James was rather grateful for it. Rather than giving direct apologies, Sirius and James gave indirect _looks_ of apology.  
  
"That was so cool how you used that spell by hiding your wand under your cloak." Exclaimed Peter happily rushing around; oddly enough the boy couldn't keep still.  
  
"I can't believe you two have been spying on me all this time!" James muttered, rumpling his hair.  
  
"Worried we were." Informed Peter, "We didn't know what kind of mischief you would cause on your own."  
  
James frowned; he wouldn't do anything if there were no one with him to share the glory of his mischievous plans. Then James remembered what he had seen just before Bellatrix ruined his moment.  
  
"Oh yeah, speaking of which, do you know where Remus went of to?" he asked them, curiously, "I saw him rushing somewhere on the grounds just before your cousin tried to threaten me."  
  
Both Sirius and Peter looked strangely at him, eyeing him with suspicion. James cocked his eyebrow upward; he didn't understand why they were looking at him that way.  
  
"You're saying that you saw Remus less than thirty minutes ago?" asked Sirius trying to be sure.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"That's not possible!" Peter implored, looking at James with concern. "Remus left more than five hours ago to visit his sick mother!"  
  
James looked at both of them strangely, "Maybe he came back."  
  
"Remus said he'd be back tomorrow around lunch time." Informed Sirius again. "He can't be back yet, we saw him go with Professor Dumbledore—"  
  
"They're up to something." Said James interrupting Sirius, his voice as serious as his face now. "It was Remus I saw, I just know it was. You should have seen him too!"  
  
"We only looked out the window when we heard Bellatrix' piercing voice; she was already pointing her wand at you." Sirius replied.  
  
James rubbed his forehead in aggravation; where could Remus be heading off to? Why would he lie to them about leaving to see his sick mother if he's still here on the grounds?   
  
"Okay let's see…" James mumbled, as he sat down on his poster. "Right of the oak tree; Sirius do you know what you would run into if you were just to walk to the right of the oak tree from here?"  
  
Sirius shook his head and quietly brushed some of his bangs out of his eyes.  
  
"The Whomping Willow!" Peter shouted out, "You run into the Whomping Willow!"  
  
Both Sirius and James stared at Peter then out the window; why was it that whenever they talked about something like this, the Whomping Willow would always come up in their conversation? It was far too obvious that almost everything revolved around this Whomping Willow; it seemed to be an important clue for the three of them.  
  
"This is much more than just a coincidence." Stated James, furrowing his brow, "I wasn't imagining Remus there; it really was him. So whatever that Whomping Willow is hiding, Remus and Dumbledore are in on it."  
  
"Don't forget the _Shrieking Shack_, James." Implored Sirius, "It just started shrieking this year, the same time the Whomping Willow was placed. What did Raven say about it again?"  
  
"She agreed with me when I asked if the shrieking occurred once a month under a full moon." Replied James with wonder. "Speaking of which, Peter do you know what kind of moon it is tonight?"  
  
Peter was startled that they asked him the question and nearly fell backwards just by the mention of his own name. After finally regaining himself, Peter rushed over to his drawer and pulled out a pocket-sized book that read: _The Daily Moon Phase Calendar_ created by _Catriona Fabianus_. James and Sirius laughed looking at their little yellow-haired friend trying to keep the book open, but having it close every time he did so. This explained how Peter knew what the moon phases without doing all the math involved.  
  
"Oh! It's a full moon!" squeaked Peter frightfully.  
  
This answered half of their questions; they knew now that the Shrieking Shack and the Whomping Willow had some sort of connection between them. What still puzzled them was why the Shrieking Shack shrieked, and what kind of weird item the Whomping Willow was trying to keep secret from everyone else. Then there was the question about Remus, what were they going to do about him? He was their friend after all, they couldn't just say they weren't friends any more; the boy would get suspicious and probably sad too.  
  
"We're not to mention _anything_ we found out to Remus understand?" said Sirius looking at his friends, his face looking ill. "But no matter what he's still our friend, got that Peter?"  
  
Peter nodded, but then asked, "What happens if Remus turns out to be a supporter of that Voldemo—"  
  
Both James and Sirius cut him off and replied at the same time, "We'll figure that out _when_ and _if_ we ever have to." 

------------------------

Bellatrix was ever so horrified to see James, Sirius, and Peter hanging out together the following morning, but didn't dare go up and threaten them like she wanted do to so badly. It was Sunday, after all, and she had better things to do like hanging out with Rodolphus and Rabastan, her two psychotic friends, before classes started again. Sirius took the time to rub it in by intentionally bumping into the three of them whenever they happened to walk by.  
  
Other than the fact that they were all glad that they were friends again, they were still worried about Remus. He _would_ come at lunchtime, right? The three of them were worried about this like crazy, and they hoped that Remus really didn't lie to them. Though if he did lie and have a good reason for it, they'd understand… but that still depended upon the circumstances.  
  
"I'm so bored!" shouted James, as they walked through the common room on their way to the Great Hall for lunch. "When's Remus going to get here!?"  
  
Just as James said this, the Fat Lady's door suddenly swung open, and there, ironically, in the doorway stood Remus. At first glance, James was extremely relieved to see Remus back. But… when they had another good look at him, they realized that there was something wrong… very wrong.   
  
The boy, staggered into the common room, he held a nearby wall in order to keep balance. His clothes were all torn up and he was no longer wearing any shoes. Even if the fact that his clothes were ragged was very strange to the three of them, there was something else that caught their attention… There appeared to be something dripping along both of his arms, and even his legs. _Is he sweating that much…?_ James' mind asked him. Peter gasped and Sirius stared at Remus with fear in his black eyes.  
  
"He's bleeding!" shouted Peter, stepping further away. Sirius was able to grab Peter by the collar just before the little boy scampered to hide.  
  
James and Sirius (dragging Peter) rushed toward Remus and quickly helped him toward one of the red comfortable chairs. Remus' blackish cloak was torn from back to front, and it confused them as to why Remus kept it on.  
  
"Sirius, help me get his cloak off…" James instructed, slowly pulling on the cloak.  
  
"N—no!" Remus pleaded to them, his tired eyes looking very weary. "Don't—It's my favorite cloak! Let me wear—!"  
  
James cut Remus off and said, "It's really hot in here, at this rate you'll come down with something. It's torn up anyway, we can always buy you a new one."  
  
"You—You don't understand!" implored Remus; unfortunately for him, he didn't have enough strength to stop them, "I—I—!"  
  
Before he knew it, James and Sirius had already pulled off the cloak, and they were utterly horrified by what they saw. There, along both of Remus' pale arms, were extremely large slash marks and scratches, which continued to pour out with blood. Not only did he have slash markings, but also there were extremely deep gashes along his legs.  
  
Peter squeaked and clung to Sirius as he stared down at their friend. Remus, on the other hand, suppressed a look of pain from his face and, without knowing what else to say to them, laughed and remarked, "Just one of those days, you know?" 

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**:: Till Next Update ::**

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**_Next Chapter: The Malfoys_**

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Almost... We're almost going to find out about Remus.... Almost... Almost... not quite XD!


	16. Chapter 16: The Malfoys

**Author's Note:** Actually I really don't have anything to say this time around... So just read on. :D

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**Chapter Sixteen: The Malfoys**

Remus winced painfully as he strained to angle his body toward James and Sirius. He took very rapid short breaths as he looked at his friends glumly; they could tell from his face that he wasn't happy letting them see him in this state. Blood continued to seep out from his fresh wounds as he opened his mouth to speak once more, "Can—Can you please call Professor Dumbledore?" Remus took a very deep breath before finishing, "I would like a word."  
  
"Dumbledore? You need to seem Madam Pomfrey immediately!"  
  
"I'm fine. _Honest_." He lied, straining to find a comfortable position, "Please, it's important."  
  
James looked squarely into Remus' face; he stared from behind his round glasses at his friend's sad, lonely, and determined eyes. There was something there, some sort of strong determination that could be seen upon his pale face, no matter if he was bleeding to death. Whatever he had to say to Dumbledore was far more important to him at that moment.  
  
James hesitated to say anything for a second; the boy couldn't exactly argue with determination like that, but he still felt uncomfortable with the situation.   
  
"All right then. Sirius, you go find Dumbledore. Peter accompany him, would you?"  
  
"What about you, James?" Peter wondered, his eyes darting from the door to his three friends.  
  
"I'll be staying." He replied. James' eyes seemed to only stare at Remus, they refused to look anywhere else.   
  
There was something about the seriousness of the situation that made Sirius oblige so quickly for he didn't even make the effort to ask questions. He stood up, took Peter by the collar, and sped out of the common room leaving both James and Remus in the common room.   
  
Remus' light brown hair looked about as messy as James', and his face appeared as pale as parchment. The poor boy knew exactly why James decided to stay; he knew he was going to be interrogated by him. Remus didn't seem to really care about the interrogation, his mind swam from the loss of blood and he felt extremely uncomfortable because of the way James was looking at him.   
  
James never lifted his gaze from Remus; he continued to survey him with the deepest concern in his eyes. The room was awfully quiet, everyone, by now, should have probably gone down to the Great Hall to eat lunch. The silence disturbed them both, but no one dared to speak.  
  
James sighed; there were so many questions he wanted to ask; yet he was too afraid to ask them. _At this rate I'll go mad_, his mind thought as he finally tore his gaze from his good friend. He took the cloak he and Sirius had pulled off earlier and began to tear strips of cloth from it. If they weren't going to call Madam Pomfrey yet, the best thing he could do right now was to keep Remus company and try to clot the blood.  
  
Remus' lifted his head slightly in order to get a better view of what his friend was doing to his special cloak, "James—"  
  
"I'll be sure to get you a better one, don't worry about it. Right now we need to stop all that blood from coming out, mate." He told him, "But we need to clean the cloth first. _Scourgify!"_  
  
Instantly, the ragged clothing seemed to be completely free of blood, mud, and grass stains. With this in mind, James gathered all of the pieces and walked over to Remus. Being as weak as he was, Remus couldn't really do anything except watch and perhaps lift up his arms slightly so that James didn't have such a hard time tying it around.   
  
"If it's painful, tell me."  
  
Remus gulped, but slowly nodded his head.  
  
James carefully took the cloth, wrapped it around, and tied it firmly. He caught a glimpse of Remus wincing painfully as he tied it into a firm not, and he couldn't blame him; he'd probably yell out in pain if it were he in that condition. Remus was very strong, and that's what James found to be one of his strong points. Remus didn't even yell out in pain; he'd occasionally bite his lip or maybe close his eyes, but that was about it.  
  
"Tell me," said James; wrapping another piece of cloth around, "You really didn't visit your sick mother, did you?"  
  
He expected Remus to give him a look of shock or terror, but oddly enough, Remus' expression didn't change at all. The boy's deep eyes looked as if he had been spacing out, thinking about something. James wasn't even sure Remus had heard his question by the reaction he had gotten and tried repeating, "Did you—?"  
  
"I heard you the first time, James." Remus replied, a periodic smile appearing on his weary face, "I had a feeling you were the one tailing me. Wearing the invisibility cloak, I assume."  
  
James let out a forced laugh, "No. Unfortunately I didn't know it was you until you turned around."  
  
A wide smile seemed to spread across Remus' face as he spoke, "I was wondering why Bellatrix and Rodolphus didn't catch up to me. I saw them in the distance and I sped up, I was kinda of surprised they didn't follow me; it turns out they spotted you instead of me."  
  
"You're welcome, then." Said James, a smile spreading across his face as well. "You didn't have to lie to us. You just wanted to be alone, right?"  
  
Remus' smile seemed to quickly change to a very concerned look, "Um—Yeah. I just wanted to be alone. I _needed_ to be alone." James looked at him curiously as if wanting to know more, but Remus caught his look and quickly replied, "It's nothing."  
  
Before anymore questions could be passed, the Fat Lady's door swung open, and to their relief Professor Dumbledore, Sirius, and Peter hurried in. James tightly secured the last piece of cloth upon Remus' arm and backed away, giving Dumbledore some room. Professor Dumbledore didn't look very surprised to see Remus like this for his expression was very calm as he knelt down beside him.  
  
"I mentioned this didn't I?" Dumbledore said lightly from behind his half-moon glasses  
  
Remus laughed, "Yeah, I was prepared. I didn't realize it would go this far though. About Madam Pomfrey—?"  
  
"I'll talk to her," said Dumbledore. He then turned to James and beamed, "You have very faithful friends. James, you wouldn't abandon any of your friends, would you?"  
  
"Me? I would never!" James exclaimed. He then turned to Sirius and remarked, "Ain't that right, mate?"  
  
Sirius grinned, "What ever you say."  
  
Dumbledore laughed aloud and turned to Remus; to their surprise he seemed to be frowning.   
  
"I'll take him to hospital wing, you three should head for the Great Hall." Said Dumbledore, looking at the three of them, "I think you three have deserved a good lunch." 

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The Great Hall was nearly empty by the time they got there; the people had begun to file out, leaving nothing but scraps on the table. James didn't seem to mind though, after seeing Remus in that state his appetite had dissipated. Sirius also felt the same way as James for he merely used his fork to poke at the bones from the left over roast. Peter seemed to be the only one who was in the mood to eat for his stomach grumbled at the sight of leftovers. Both James and Sirius sat down at the table, staring dumbfounded at the leftover food. James, on the other hand, stood their staring up at the Great Hall's enchanted ceiling absentmindedly.  
  
"Nothing but scraps, mate," murmured Sirius, rolling the bones to one side. "Hey James, lighten up. At least sit down with us."  
  
James looked at them and shrugged he then took a seat opposite of Sirius and Peter. At the moment all of his thoughts were clouded, and trying to clear it up was the one thing he had the most trouble doing. At this rate, he'll be bumping into walls and getting lost all over the place. The poor boy couldn't even think straight, he was afraid he would say his words in the incorrect order so he didn't wish to open his mouth.  
  
"Where do yeh think Remus got all those scratches?" asked Sirius closing his eyes. Vivid images raced through their minds as they tried picturing the markings. "You got a chance to look at 'em didn't you, James?"  
  
He merely nodded at the mention of his name then said, "They were really deep, it looked like some kind of animal attacked him."  
  
"James! Didn't you say Remus was walking toward the Whomping Willow? Maybe he got thrashed—!" exclaimed Peter, but only to get cut off by none other than Remus himself.  
  
"You three are trying to solve a mystery?" he asked.  
  
James looked up, startled; how did Remus get down here so quickly, and without any of them noticing? The lot of them stared at Remus with open mouths and pale faces. Remus, on the other hand, had a really bright look on his face, the boy didn't look mad at all. His clothes were no longer torn up and the blood appeared to have stopped flowing out. There the scratches were now small fairly small scars now, and they wondered what kind of magic was used to heal them in a time span of less than eight minutes.   
  
Remus was the last person they wanted over hearing their conversation.  
  
Trying to think of something to say, James exclaimed, "Remus! How did—? Weren't you—?"  
  
"I'm just fine, James. Don't worry about it; I must say, though, I didn't get thrashed by the willow."  
  
"Then how'd—?"  
  
"I fell into a large ditch, hence the large gashes in my legs. I landed on a few rocks."  
  
The three of them tried visualizing falling on a "few" rocks and they all shuddered at thought of it. If they had fallen on those rocks, their bones would have definitely shattered. Remus was lucky to have limped all the way back to school… His explanation seemed to check out with half of their questions, but James was still wondering exactly _why_ Remus was out there in the first place, and exactly _how_ he fell into a ditch. Remus isn't dumb enough to fall in on accident… it was either he tripped or… _he was attacked_. James gasped at the thought. If he had really been attacked, it would explain the deep scratch markings all over his body.  
  
He ran his hand through hair as he looked up at Remus, worriedly. James wanted to ask, but he felt something from within him telling him not to, tugging at the thought. _Remus would probably feel awkward talking about it,_ his mind told him. The last thing he wanted to do was put his friend in a hot spot after what had happened.  
  
"How are your wounds?" asked Peter, his face up in a confused manner.   
  
"Oh, they're just fine. Dumbledore healed them instantly after you three left, so no harm done." He replied, his face still unusually happy, "You realize we're the only people left in here, right? There's nothing but scraps left! Hey, _James_, can you come with me to ask Dumbledore for more food—?"  
  
"What's the need?" Sirius interrupted a sly grin appearing on his face, "We can all head down to the kitchen and ask the house-elves for some grub. We'll be able to feast on things even seventh years would die for!"  
  
Remus' happy face faulted slightly at Sirius' comment; James saw this and looked at him strangely. Did Remus, perhaps, want to talk with James alone? Is that why he suggested that he should go up to ask Dumbledore for more food? His train of thought was interrupted when Remus let out a hearty sarcastic laugh, which didn't even sound like a real laugh. Sirius and Peter didn't seem to notice the sarcasm in his voice, but James was more than annoyed by it.   
  
"Y—Yeah. I guess we _should_ head to the kitchen." Sputtered Remus.  
  
"Hey Sirius," James muttered. "Why don't you and Peter go on ahead? I just remembered that I forgot something up in the common room. Remus, do yeh mind accompanying me?"  
  
Sirius laughed, "Are you sure? I mean Peter and I will be able to have first dibs. Or we can all go up to the common room together—!"  
  
"That's all right, mate. The Professors might become suspicious if we go all together, anyway." James implored, his face looking completely serious.  
  
Sirius brushed some of his dark hair from his face and looked at James; the messy-haired boy gulped, it was almost like Sirius was using some sort of lie detector on him because of blank stare he was given. The handsome chap raised an eyebrow, and the right side of his mouth curled upward; it was most apparent that he had James all figured out.   
  
He merely took James into a headlock and laughed, "All right then! Don't go getting caught on me, got that?" Then in an low mutter so that neither Peter nor Remus could hear, he added, "'Ey, _Jamesie_, yeh better fill me in later."   
  
With that said, Sirius let James go, turned to the two others and grinned. Both Remus and Peter gave looks of pure confusion and blinked as Sirius pushed Peter out the large double doors of the Great Hall leaving James and Remus.  
  
"You shouldn't make a habit out of lying." James smiled; resting his hands at the back of his head as he walked passed Remus toward the double doors. "So what did you want to talk about?"  
  
Remus looked stunned for a moment, as if surprised that James knew he want to talk him.   
  
"Professor Dumbledore was right," Remus laughed, walking not too far behind James. "You really _are_ clever. Though I could say the same thing to you, James; _you_ shouldn't make a habit out of lying either."  
  
James turned around and looked at Remus, "Ha! I guess you're right. But Dumbledore really said I was clever? I'll take that as a compliment!" Remus merely frowned at James' remark and mumbled, "That _was_ a compliment."  
  
There was utter silence amongst the two of them as they walked through the corridor; Remus twiddled his thumbs nervously; the boy looked like he had something to say, but was too frightened to say anything at all. James, on the other hand, whistled carelessly as they walked passed a large group of Ravenclaws. Truthfully, James didn't want to know what Remus had to say; for some reason he felt it was going to be some sort of bad news or something that he would least want to happen. He also didn't want to rush Remus in speaking, if Remus wanted to say something he had to say it on his own accord.  
  
"_Flagrare_." James said calmly as they approached the door of the Fat Lady. The door swung open, and the two of them walked into the bustling common room. "So, Remus, I'll ask again. What exactly did you want to talk about?" he said out of the corner of his mouth so as to not bring so much attention to them.  
  
"A—Ah. Well, it's about earlier." He croaked, sweat dripping along his face and drenching his shirt. "The conversation we were hav—"  
  
"How do you do, Miss Evans?" James interrupted, acting completely natural; the boy rumpled the back of his hair while he looked at her. James then moved a bit backwards and whispered, "Don't act so uptight. Just act natural; people will think we're up to something if you continue to sweat bullets like that, mate."  
  
The two of them went passed all the people and up to the dormitories. Upon entering their room, something flew in from the open window. The two boys were rather startled, but realized that it was only an owl; one that James had never seen before. It had beautiful light brown feathers, which resembled Remus' hair, and it looked just as tired and shabby as Remus did the first time James had seen him. The owl had with him an envelope that was tied neatly to its right leg with a glowing dark blue ribbon.  
  
"That's weird, don't the owls usually come in during breakfast?" James asked, turning to Remus. Remus, on the other hand, had a rather strange expression that he had never seen before, and his mouth seemed to be held agape. "…Is something wrong?"  
  
"_Aqualis!_" Remus gasped, rushing towards the shabby looking owl. His face looked beyond relieved at the sight of the owl, "I _can't_ believe it! Is that _really_ you? It's been _ages_!" he exclaimed again, his croaking voice choking on several of his words.  
  
James walked over to Remus and could have sworn that the over-excited boy would throw himself over the owl and possibly choke it to death. That was just how happy Remus looked finally seeing the owl, it was almost like he was seeing a really old friend that hadn't seen in over four years or something.  
  
"Hey, Remus, whose owl is that?" James asked, curiously looking at the bird that seemed to resemble little Lupin greatly. "It looks a lot like you, an old friend perhaps? You couldn't possibly be yours, is it? You told us you didn't have an owl."  
  
Remus seemed to frown at the comment, "That's what my mum used to tell me, she used to say that I looked like her. Anyways this is Aqualis; she belongs to my father, he decided the name for her because of her strangely ocean blue eyes. If you stare into them, it makes you think of water."   
  
He said all this with the most enthusiasm in his voice; Remus seemed really proud of the owl to be talking this much about it, but even so, it made James think of more questions than before.  
  
"Hey… Remus," he began, the boy had begun petting the bird. "Exactly what do you mean by _'my mum used to tell me'_ She doesn't tell that to you now? And what did you mean by you hadn't seen Aqualis in ages? You're acting as if you haven't seen your family in years."  
  
Remus froze; his hand began trembling, but he continued to pet the bird as best he could. James didn't know if he had offended Remus in any way, so he immediately apologized afterward.  
  
"No. It's all right James…" Remus said looking up at him, his eyes full of sorrow, "You're right, my mum doesn't tell that to me any more…"  
  
James stared, "Are you telling me that you haven't seen your parents—?"  
  
"Let's go, James. I'm sure Sirius and Peter are waiting for us."  
  
James frowned; why didn't Remus want to answer his questions? He didn't understand any of it at all! They were friends, weren't they?   
  
"You're the one who wanted to talk to me, Remus." He stammered, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Spit it out already! What's _wrong_? Do you have some sort of problem? Why don't you tell me, tell us?!" James couldn't help, but say it all at once and he continued, "We're your _friends_, Remus! Friends are supposed tell each other everything! We have a right to—"  
  
"But—but it's different!" Remus implored, turning to James, his eyes seeming to be filled with anger, "You don't _understand_, James. You'd never understand even if I told you! There are things I have to keep to myself. A-and, I just know you'd leave—you'd never want to be friends with me when I—if I tell you the truth!"   
  
James could have sworn Remus had started crying, but he couldn't see because Remus had his back turned around. "And—And that's the very last thing I'd want to happen… I don't want to loose any more people; I don't want to loose any more family! You, Sirius, and Peter are like family to me, and I don't want to—!"  
  
The room quieted down and there was a moment of silence. James didn't know what else to say to Remus; he tried opening his mouth, but no words would escape. Remus knelt by his bed, the place where Aqualis was perched, took the letter from the owl's leg and tossed it to the side. He then continued to pat and scratch it on the head slowly and absentmindedly.  
  
James gulped the remaining saliva left in his mouth and started, "Remus, look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean—!"  
  
At that precise moment, the door burst open and Sirius, as well as Peter, landed with a thud on the floor. Remus was quite startled by this and jumped as if to have finally been pulled out of a wonderful daydream and back into reality. James on the other hand frowned at the sight of the two of them. _Bad timing as usual,_ James sighed, looking at the two of them lying in a heap on the floor.  
  
"Don't tell me you finished eating already?" said James, eyeing the both of them.  
  
"It was horrible!" Peter cried, his eyes full of tears. "They—they nearly killed us!"  
  
Sirius merely conked Peter on the head to calm down and explained to them in a more, appropriate manner, "It wasn't that bad. We didn't even make it to the kitchen though; we, unfortunately, had the pleasure of running into Malfoy and Bellatrix. They just bluffed that they were going to use the _Petrificus Totalus_ spell—Peter would you _stop_ shaking—on us if we didn't get out of their sight."  
  
Remus seemed to have finally regained himself for he was now standing beside James, and looking down at them curiously. There was no sign on his face that made anyone think that he had been horribly sad and depressed, and this was what hurt James the most. Remus had the ability to hide his emotions really well; he may be really sad or maybe angry and they would have never noticed!  
  
"If they were just bluffing, then why'd your run away, Sirius?" Remus asked, a smile appearing on his once emotionless face.  
  
"It wasn't me, mate! I blame it on Peter! He dragged me all the way up here; I swear, thanks to you Peter, I'm going to be the talk of the household back home." Sirius muttered harshly, "Me mum'll probably laugh heartily and exclaim _'he was nothing, but a coward to begin with, that snot-nose blood traitor! He's no son of mine!'_ or something to that effect."  
  
"So, Rodolphus wasn't with her…?" James asked, helping them both get to their feet, "Who'd you say she was with again?"  
  
"Malfoy!" Peter gasped, "They're so rich and powerful!"  
  
"Because you have money, it doesn't mean you're powerful, mate." James laughed, "Though, in our world today, I'd say that's what everyone else thinks. So exactly who is this 'Malfoy' character?"  
  
Sirius, Peter, and Remus stared at James with eyes wide and mouths hanging.   
  
"You're _crazy! Everyone's_ heard of the Malfoy family." Sirius gasped, rubbing his hand on his forehead, "Do you understand how deprived you are, James? I mean I understand that you didn't know Peeves, but you don't know the Malfoy Family…?"  
  
James frowned, "Of course I know them; well, I've _heard_ of them. They're an aristocratic wizarding family, am I right?"  
  
The three of them sighed in relief; they appeared to be extremely glad that James at least knew whom they were talking about. It was hard to really understand if James knew everything, or he just knew everything about Quidditch.  
  
"It was Lucius Malfoy, the son of Mr. Malfoy!" Peter exclaimed, his eyes full of wonder and fear.  
  
"Thanks for stating the obvious, Peter." Remus sighed, scratching the bottom of his chin. "All the of the Malfoy family, just like the Black Family—erm, sorry Sirius—have always been sorted into Slytherin."  
  
Sirius smirked, "Don't worry about it, I don't wish to think of myself as part of that family, anyway. They're all rotten."  
  
"Yeah, rotten to the core!" Peter agreed, nodding his small head.  
  
"All in all, the lot of them are just bloody, slimy, annoying, and obnoxious little gits, eh?" James chuckled, scratching his head as he continued to speak, "Yeah, yeah, I _know_, Remus." He laughed, as he saw Remus sigh deeply again, "'Thanks for stating the obvious', right?" 

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**:: BLAH BLAH XD ::**

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**_Next Chapter: Secrets Untold_**

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The next chapter... You'll have to wait a while for it. I'm sorry for those who actually want to read the next chapter. I have to span it out until I finally get my computer back... It's still broken and I can't get anywhere near my files ;-;! Anyways, till next update (which will hopefully be soon)! Reviews will be most welcomed!


	17. Chapter 17: Secrets Untold

**Author's Notes:** Hey! Had enough of this story yet? Sad to say, my computer won't be back up anytime soon so this maybe the last chapter I post in days . Anyway, if it makes you happy read some other fanfics or some of my other fanfics XD. I personally like this chapter, for once, so I hope you like it, too. The Mischief Makers do not belong to me!

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**Chapter Seventeen: Secrets Untold**

Ever since James and Remus had their little chat up in the dorms, lil Remus kept an annoyingly close watch on his three friends. It was excruciatingly obvious to both James and Sirius that their little friend didn't want them poking their noses into places they weren't supposed to ("That's the kind of thing we should tell Snivellus," Sirius proposed.). Wherever they went their little bookworm resumed tagging closely behind them.   
  
The boy was trying to act perfectly normal about it, too, but unfortunately for Remus, acting normal wasn't very easy. Even at night, he would shuffle around the room, pretending to be either reading or writing an essay until they had fallen asleep. James couldn't slip a single word about their conversation to Sirius for two weeks straight. James and Sirius found this very irritating, even more so than Snape's existence on this planet. Peter, being as clueless as always, resumed his days normally, completely oblivious of what was going on.  
  
Since Remus was tailing them so much, James could no longer set up any more plans of mischief for the four of them. Whenever James even breathed out the word _invisibility cloak_, Remus would become awfully suspicious, eyeing the lot of them as if they were planning to destroy Hogwarts itself. Because of this, life continued as usual, like a normal, magical, plain old life without any adventure, excitement, or Quidditch. James' invisibility cloak was left in his bag full of dust and sadly unused. The only thing he looked forward to the next day was Transfiguration as well as several of the other classes, but they too began to grow on him.   
  
Fortunately for the three, Remus' will to follow them and listen in on their secrets decreased, and they were awkwardly given, little by little, more freedom. Also, James and Sirius had stopped whispering between each other during classes in order to gain their old friend's trust again, and it worked. Because of their little scheme, Remus felt that he had no need to eavesdrop on them as much anymore; he returned to his usual readings and slept early. With this in mind, James could _finally_ give Sirius some information on what had happened that day Aqualis flew into their room. The bird had left not long after it arrived, and it had departed without James' or anyone else noticing.   
  
Even if they were free to share information, they didn't want to make it look too obvious because their friend might start keeping track of them again.  
  
"Remus, did you finish your essay on the Astrological Constellations, yet?" Sirius asked one peculiar afternoon. He sat straight across from lil Remus, and he looked straight at him when he said this, his face up in an abnormally large grin. It was study hall period, and the four of them were sitting around one of the smaller square tables furthest away from everyone else.   
  
Remus, who had been reading _another_ large book, entitled: "_Everything You Need to Know About the Ministry of Magic_ " by _Morganna Elitta_, looked up.   
  
"Unfortunately, I haven't." he replied, his tired face up in a warm smile, "You can always ask James, he should—"  
  
"Oy, _Jamesie_!" Sirius exclaimed in an annoyingly high-pitched voice, rudely cutting Remus off. He lightly nudged James in the arm and continued, "Have you finished your essay, yet? I reckon you have! So don't tell me you haven't cause I know you have."  
  
James paid no attention; the messy-haired boy seemed much too absorbed in whatever he was writing to even look up or answer back. Sirius, furrowed his brow at the reaction he had gotten, and without thinking, he nudged James hard in the elbow, the same elbow that was attached to the hand, the same hand that held the quill, and the same quill that had been writing on the parchment. Both Peter and Remus gasped as the quill and its ink ran across the page, completely staining it with black. Half of the page James had been writing was now blotted out.  
  
Sirius blinked; he was in complete disbelief, he had just ruined what James had been working so intently on. James stared down at the paper, his face in a blank stare as if he was lost in his train of thought.  
  
"S-S-Sirius!" Peter murmured, his face staring at James wearily.  
  
"Um… Don't worry about it James! I'll clean it up!" Sirius exclaimed, quickly nipping out his wand. "_Evan_—" James and Remus turned to Sirius quickly, trying their very best to stop him from completing the spell, their eyes bulging with horror, "—_esco ink!_"  
  
The next thing they knew, the entire roll of parchment James had written was completely erased of ink, that included the ink writing James had done so hard to do. James stared horrified at the blank parchment, his mouth agape, and his eyes about to fall out of their sockets. Sirius mumbled to himself, his eyes wearily looking at James and darting to the exit.  
  
"Sirius…" James murmured, his voice soft and slightly wavy. "Mate…?"  
  
"W—What is it, James?" Sirius gulped, his mouth twitching, "B-bloody hell! I'm so sorry it was an accident! I didn't—!"  
  
"Do you realize… it took me the entire week to write that?"  
  
"N—No. I think you missed that part."  
  
James slowly turned his head toward his _good_ buddy, his entire face twitching. Remus and Peter had never seen James this angry before and they slowly backed away from the table. Sirius also began backing away from the table; occasionally looking back at the exit, ready to make a run for it. Everyone in the room felt very tense, they all felt the anger emitting from the poor boy that had just lost his essay.   
  
"If you weren't my best friend…" James muttered under his breath, "I'd have yelled at you and most likely hexed you by now."  
  
"Thank you?" implied Sirius, unable to find anything appropriate to say. "I'll make it up to you, mate. By Merlin's Beard, I _promise_!"  
  
James sank back in his chair and laughed humorously. Everyone else stared at him in confusion, was he loosing it?  
  
"Don't worry about it, Sirius." He laughed, taking the blank parchment and throwing it aside, "It wasn't anything important. Oh and you shouldn't make promises you can't keep, either."  
  
Sirius' face seemed to relax a bit and he asked, "Ah—all right, mate. But are you sure?"  
  
"Positive. Anyway, I'll get that essay for you; it's up in the tower, by the way. You mind accompanying me?"  
  
When realizing that the battle zone was now at peace again, Peter was the first to scamper back to his seat and continue his work; his stubby-body made him hobble whenever he tried to walk. Remus sighed with relief, and sat back down next to Peter, continuing to read on a section headed "_The Department of Magical Transportation_."  
  
"You shouldn't get us worried like that." He said, flipping to the next page, and brushing his light brown hair from his face, "I seriously though you were going to kill someone."  
  
James laughed at the thought of it, "I'd _kill_ myself first before I could even _think_ of killing anyone! Anyways, lets get going Sirius."  
  
James then put away his books within his small bag and led the way out of the hall and into the stone corridor. Sirius came out not long afterwards, also carrying his things; after coming into the hall he quietly shut the door behind him insuring that neither Peter nor Remus was following them.  
  
James stretched his arms lazily toward the ceiling as he walked ahead. "It's not like you to ask someone else for their homework, Sirius. You're supposed to be good with Astrology; I mean Professor Sinistra says you're the best at the subject." He grumbled resting his hands behind his head.  
  
"That's because Astrology is much too easy. It's much too time consuming anyhow. Plus I'm much to advanced to write something on such an easy subject." Sirius replied, a haughty grin spreading across his face. James couldn't help, but frown at the conceitedness of the comment. Sirius shrugged his shoulders and continued, "I don't understand why Peter keeps flunking! You just have to look at the night sky, identify the position of stars, and name the celestial beings!"  
  
"Don't put the blame on Peter," James frowned looking back, "You're the one who didn't do your essay. Peter has it done already; he made me check it over. It was quite accurate, I might add."  
  
"Tell me, what constellation did he put the most emphasis?" he asked James, pulling back his smooth dark hair with his hands, "If it's the constellation '_ Volpecula_' he got that from the lecture I gave him about two days ago."  
  
James' face faulted and the comment and Sirius just laughed.  
  
"I take that as a yes."  
  
The two of them shrugged there shoulders as the reached the door of the fat lady who seemed to be snoozing. Sirius being as impatient as always, took no trouble in trying to make a joke out of waking her up.  
  
"Oy! _Wake-y, wake-y_," Sirius teased to the snoozing Fat Lady, and James couldn't help but chuckle.  
  
The Fat Lady didn't do a thing except stir slightly and shift her position; James began to wonder exactly _why_ she was given the job if she was just going to sleep like this. Sirius seemed to have become quite annoyed by the fact that she didn't even pay any attention to them; to annoy Sirius Black would have been the last thing you'd even think of doing.  
  
"_I SAID WAKE UP_!" he shouted fiercely, nearly giving the Fat Lady a heart attack, and without giving a second thought to her well being, he stated the password: "_Crim Leon_."  
  
It took a minute for her to recover from the shock, and she just stared at the both of them, her face rather peeved looking. Sirius didn't seem to mind the cold stare she was giving them, but the look made James feel extremely queasy.   
  
"Kids today! Absolutely _no_ respect!" she exclaimed and the door swung open.  
  
James frowned at the words; he didn't enjoy making other people feel bad at his expense. Even though Sirius was the one who did all the talking, the boy couldn't help but share part of the blame for not stopping him.  
  
The two of them continued to walk through the empty common room and proceeded up the stairs of their tower. The place was unusually quiet because of the fact that most of the students were either studying outside or taking their classes.  
  
Upon entering their dormitory James rushed over to his little corner and began rustling through a pile of papers that had been sitting on his desk. Sirius, on the other hand, didn't head over to his friend just yet; instead, he took the time to open the window first.  
  
The layout of the room was simple, but it made the room feel stuffy at times giving Sirius a fairly understandable reason to open the window. The handsome chap's poster-bed was to the left of the window. On the right side of the window was Remus' poster. All of their posters were angled into a circle. Across from Sirius' poster was Peter's, and right next to his, which would be on the left, was James'. Among the four of them, James' area seemed to be the messiest of the room, and Remus' was obviously the cleanest.  
  
"I found it!" James said happily, pulling out a fairly long roll of parchment.  
  
Sirius looked away from the window and turned to James, "You know, it's beyond me how you can find anything in that mess. It looks like a jungle in there."  
  
The messy-haired boy joined his handsome friend by the window and stared out for a moment before replying, "It's my habitat." He stated firmly, "I should know my own habitat, Sirius."  
  
The both of them merely laughed at the comment.   
  
Upon looking outside, the two of them didn't fail to notice that the view outside was absolutely breathe-taking. James had never actually taken time to glance out the window, so this was his first time getting a good 'ol view. The both of them stared down at the grounds below, and then traced their eyes to the oak tree they always hung around. Several of the students were walking around in groups talking amongst each other ('the latest gossip' was what Sirius called it).   
  
From the view they had, they noted that the Forbidden Forest looked as if it would go on for miles, there also seemed to be some strangely eerie fog that rolled into the forest making it hard to see further away. James squinted his eyes slightly; was it just him or was he actually faintly seeing mountains and hills from behind the fog? Whatever was behind that fog seemed to call out to him, but before he could decipher what it was, he something else had caught his attention.  
  
The lake glimmered in the hot sun attracting his attention toward it; James blinked. At the very center of the lake there seemed to be about seven or eight people poking their heads out from the surface of the water. The lot of them seemed to be having some sort of conversation between each other. They all appeared to be rather strongly built which gave James the impression that they were all men swimming in the lake. Their appearances were much different than those he had normally seen, but James couldn't exactly put his finger on what was different about them. _Those don't look like any Hogwarts student_, James thought absentmindedly.   
  
Suddenly, one of the men spun around quickly as if frantically searching for someone. Oddly enough, the man's movement didn't even seem to splash the water at all, he was extremely graceful as he moved. Some how the man managed to lock eyes with James; he felt a shock throughout his body when they looked directly into each other eyes. He then muttered something toward his friends and upon hearing whatever he had to say, they wasted no time in diving in head first into the water. _They're not human_, he thought again, his eyes wide with shock, he knew this for certain because he swore he had a small glimpse of what appeared to be fins and gills.  
  
"Sirius! _Sirius!_ Did you just see that?!" James called out excitedly, "Those were merpeople! Did you see them? T'was incredible! Bloody brilliant, I should say! I saw about eight of them, they were in the middle of the lake, talking, and—and—!"  
  
Sirius smacked James upside the head to calm him down, "Get a hold of yourself! You're saying you saw _Merpeople_ in the lake?"  
  
"What—?! You didn't see them?"  
  
"Obviously not." he retorted, his voice seeming as though he _wished_ he had seen them. "Anyway, like I was saying, you should tidy your things a bit."  
  
"Even if I do, it'll just get messy again," replied James frowning. "I'm not consistent with those thing, mate. Don't use Remus as an example; he's super-wizard or something. I mean cleaning your things _that_ much, it's not normal!"  
  
Sirius walked over to Remus' poster and glanced around at cleanliness that was before him, it even looked like his bed sheets had been ironed! He walked around the place a bit, surveying everything carefully, then something caught his eye; it was a piece of paper laying carelessly on the floor.  
  
"Has he lost his touch?" James wondered aloud as Sirius picked up the paper from the floor. "What is it anyway?"  
  
Sirius scanned through it for a second then quickly shoved it onto the desk nearby, "It's a letter," he mumbled, "A _personal_ letter from his mum and dad, I think. We shouldn't meddle with—"  
  
James quickly snatched the letter from the desk without any question and looked at it; it really was a letter from his parents. Probably the same letter that Aqualis had sent to Remus.  
  
"James!" Sirius stammered, sweat appearing to trickle down his face, "It's not our place to read something that personal! I may have a knack for cheating on homework assignments, but I know my limits, mate. Reading someone else's personal life is not a good thing unless they tell it to you freely. Just put it down before someone sees!"  
  
James pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and looked up at Sirius, "I know my limits, but this is important! Sirius, do you want to know what I talked about with Remus, or not?"  
  
His handsome friend stared at him for a moment; he seemed to be hesitating.  
  
"A-All right. You win." He murmured. "But I'm only doing this so that you're not getting all the blame."  
  
James just waved his hand then looked at the letter carefully. The handwriting was perfectly written, but it was really short and full of questions. Not only was it full of questions, but also some of the words looked like they had been drenched in some sort of liquid; _tears_. It was apparent to them that whoever wrote the letter was extremely emotional while doing it, either that or Remus had be bawling while reading the letter. James took a deep breath and began reading aloud:  
  
_Dear Remus dear,  
  
How have you been lately? We haven't seen you in forever! How tall are you now? Was Christmas okay? Have you made any friends? Are you eating properly? Please tell me that the ministry has been watching over you because if they aren't I'll go talk to them this instant! Professor Dumbledore is such a kind man allowing you into Hogwarts, I was becomes quite worried that they wouldn't accept you. You're father has been doing fine so don't worry too much about him. You're coming home after Hogwarts, right? The ministry told us that you could! I just can't wait. I can't wait to see how much you've grown.  
  
Love,   
Mum_   
  
Sirius furrowed his brow, and took the letter from James' hands and read it over a few times. The chap had apparently forgotten what he had said about knowing his limits. James, on the other hand, didn't need to read it over again. Rather, he understood the entire letter the first time he read it. He was right; Remus really _hadn't_ seen his parents in a long time, and that's why he was so excited to see his old owl.   
  
"I don't get it." Sirius murmured reading it over for what appeared to be the seventh time, "This is a joke right? Why would the Ministry of Magic be watching over Remus?" he then turn to James, his face up in concern, "Please tell me, this wasn't what Remus and you discussed."  
  
"Some of it." Said James, seriously, "He didn't tell me that the Ministry was watch him though, well _I_ definitely wouldn't if I was him. I just know that he hasn't seen his parents in a long time, maybe a few years. I don't know for sure how long though."  
  
There was a brief silence where the two of them began thinking.  
  
"Now I understand why he doesn't get that much mail," said Sirius solemnly, "There was no one who could send him a letter. But what disturbs me is the fact that the Ministry is watching him. Usually when they watch someone it's for extreme reasons."  
  
"Yeah it's questionable, this is probably what he was trying to tell me when he mentioned that we wouldn't want to be his friends if we knew the truth. We shouldn't mention this to Remus at all, he'd freak if we told him." James stated, pacing about.   
  
Sirius wrinkled his forehead at the thought. Of course, they'd still be friends, that was unless he turned out to be a murderer or something… James shook the thought out of his brain; Remus couldn't _possibly_ be a murderer nonetheless a mass muggle murderer. It was completely preposterous! That Voldemort character probably wasn't even attending school anymore!   
  
He furrowed his brow and rubbed his head in aggravation. Then a question struck him; _didn't Sirius tell Bellatrix that the Ministry of Magic was watching her too?_ He knew they would get off topic if he asked the question to Sirius, but at the moment, James really wanted to get away from anything that had to do with Voldemort so it was his only way out.  
  
"Speaking of the Ministry, I've been wondering for a while now." he wondered aloud, as he placed the letter back on the desk, "Exactly _why_ is Bellatrix under the watch as well? You mentioned it before… Did she do something wrong?"  
  
Sirius looked innocently at James then began laughing, "I really don't think you want to know about that. A Black Family problem, yah know, very sensitive stuff."  
  
James grinned broadly and brushed his dark cloak, which appeared to have somehow gotten dust upon it. He spoke in a teasing voice, "Sensitive, eh? We've got time; please do share with me. We may be able to use it to our advantage against that witch!"  
  
Sirius laughed and sank down onto his bed; James sat on the floor looking at his friend like a five-year-old waiting for an old fairy tale story.  
  
Sirius cocked an eyebrow upward as he looked at the messy-haired boy who somehow reminded him of an innocent animal. It was rather uncomfortable for him since storytelling wasn't the best thing in the world that he could do.   
  
"All right then. Well you know my father—"  
  
"'Ey aren't you going to begin with '_ Once Upon a Time'_?" James chuckled as he stretched his arms and legs. "Com'on, mate! You can do better than that!"  
  
Sirius frowned and replied harshly, "What do you think I look like? Your nanny?"  
  
James grinned widely from ear to ear and briskly said, "Actually, the resemblance between you and ol' Granny Potter, is uncanny!"

* * *

**:: To Be Continued! ::**

**_Next Chapter: Unwanted Gibbous_**

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Reviews are fun... reviews are great!

So press that button, start typing, and give me one, mate!

A corny song/poem by me.


	18. Chapter 18: Unwanted Gibbous

**Celebrean - **Thanks so much for all the comments! I promise not to lie anymore .. Though, I still think my fics aren't very good XD. 

**Frodo1512 - **Okay I wrote it for you! FF.net wouldn't let me post it sooner, so forgive me! 

**Author's Notes:** I ended up retyping this whole chapter !!! I had it done on my other computer, but that computer is being repaired... so I decided to just retype it up. I think it turned out much better than the other version of chapter 18... heheh :D! Please comment/review/flame! Be my guest, tell me your life story if you want! I'll be sure to listen .; 

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**Chapter 18: Unwanted Gibbous**

"I swear, James. Granny Potter—?" sputtered Sirius, waving his hand away at the comment angrily, "I can't believe this…!"

A sly, wide grin appeared across James' haughty face as he looked at his good friend with great interest. Sirius' handsome face was half hidden beneath his dark black hair, and he looked back at James with a look of contempt and annoyance. Every single time that messy-haired boy showed some form of a sly grin, he knew for certain that he was either up to something or just _really_ satisfied with himself. James' self-confidence was much more than Sirius could really stand.

"Well continue!" James exclaimed, playfully, acting like a young toddler, "What happened with Bellatrix?"

Sirius frowned at him, and massaged his head with both of his hands before trying to speak. James sat there before him, his eyes sparkling and looking innocently at Sirius. Unfortunately, that wondrous sparkle in his eyes soon left him as quickly as it had come when his buddy opened up his mouth to speak:

"Well—maybe one day I'll tell you." he said shortly, looking up immediately as if awaiting some sort of reaction.

The reaction came and it was exactly what Sirius had suspected his good buddy to do. James' mouth fell open; the suspense had literally been gnawing at his brain, and this was all Sirius was going to say to him?! He rumpled his hair and sighed deeply before protesting.

"Aw! Come _on!_" he cried, crawling on his knees toward Sirius' poster, "You can't keep it to yourself forever!"

Sirius smiled lightly and replied, "You're right. Maybe one day, Jamesie, maybe one day."

James tried to pry the information out of him, but absolutely nothing would work. After what seemed like an hour, he finally gave up after trying forty consecutive times to get Sirius to spill the news to him. In a desperate attempt, the boy even went as far as threatening to use Veritaserum on him while he was asleep to try and provoke him. Nothing worked. This was probably one out of three chances someone could ever see James give up on doing something. Sirius was just too much for the poor boy to handle.

Instead of fighting over nothing, Sirius suggested that he should probably start his essay before Remus and Peter came in. If the two of them barged in when Sirius wasn't doing his essay, they were quite sure that Remus would suspect them or get very suspicious. If Remus found out that they had read his letter, they were sure that he'd be extremely angry with them and possibly wouldn't want to hang around them any more. If that ever happened, James wouldn't be very surprised after all; they did read something that was very precious to him.

"_Accio_ quill." Sirius muttered lazily, taking James' Astrological essay, and quickly skimmed through it, "Ha! You emphasized my constellation—!"

James felt slightly embarrassed, he had completely forgotten what constellation he had put the most emphasis on and he quickly interrupted him, "So—So what if I emphasized _Sirius_!? Don't let it get to your head, all right, mate?"

"I'm _so _touched, James." Sighed Sirius sarcastically, pretending to wipe a fake tear from his eye, "You're such a good friend!"

James didn't know what was cornier, Sirius' sarcastic reaction or his horrible acting. Either way, he decided that he was going to keep whatever the answer was to himself rather than share it. Sirius, on the other hand, chuckled to himself as he caught the quill he had summoned only moments before.

"_Accio_ parchment." He muttered again, toss the quill beside him, "Hey James, this quick charm is really handy!" he mused, still reading.

The drawer, which happened to lie right next to Sirius' desk, shot open and an empty scroll of parchment floated out and towards them. Unfortunately, unlike the quill, the parchment didn't stay suspended in midair awaiting Sirius to grab it, rather the parchment seemed to be very impatient and immediately dropped onto his head with a loud thud.

James laughed at the sight of it all, how humiliating it must have been for Sirius. You would have thought that the handsome chap would have been angry about the whole thing; instead he looked up at James and grinned.

"It needs a little work though."

"Those kind of charms are for lazy gits, mate." James retorted handing him a bottle of ink.

Sirius quickly took the ink, the parchment, and the feather and set out all of the things in front of him. He pondered for a few seconds before dipping the tip of his quill into the small bottle of ink. It wouldn't be a good idea to just copy James' work word by word, that wouldn't be fair to James if he did that. It also would be more effective if he just translated it into his own words, it should be a cinch for the great and powerful Sirius Black…right?

_The constaletion, Sirius, is relevant to—_

"You spelled that wrong." James told him, pointing it out from over his shoulder, "It's C-O-N-S-T-E-L-L-A-T-I-O-N."

Sirius felt his body twitch at his mistake, and feeling much more humiliated than he ever had been. He quickly erased the phrase with a quick charm, and continued as best he could trying to ignore the serious stare James was giving him from the back of his head. An hour passed and Sirius kept his patience with James, even when the sun had already begun to descend, and the sky began to grow dimmer. James' sudden interest in fixing grammatical errors was excruciatingly annoying for him; every small detail that he did wrong James would point it out the very second he wrote it down.

"That looks more like a period than a comma, you might want to fix that, mate." James informed.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders, turned to James, and responded, "I hate to be rude, but could you find something else to do…?"

"Like what—?"

At that moment, the door to their dormitory clicked open; both Remus and Peter stepped into the room. The two of them looked extremely pleased with themselves, it was most apparent to James and Sirius that they had a very nice time without them.

Peter waddled in first; he carefully placed his small brown handbag upon his bed and plopped down next to it. At the same time Remus also walked over to his small table and placed his things beside it, and that was when they realized something they had completely forgotten. James and Sirius held their breathes for a second, they had forgotten about Remus' letter. The letter lay right smack on the table for all to see, it was even half open. It took only seconds before Remus noticed it there, and he stared at it emotionlessly, he then calmly looked over at the two sitting on the poster.

Remus' face seemed rather weary, and the color of his skin was looked completely drain. It was absolutely amazing at how calm Remus seemed for there appeared to be a strange pain in his eyes. This pain seemed to seer through James and he gulped; he completely regretted reading the letter now. Sirius, on the other hand, tried the best he could to write his essay, ignoring the icy stare Remus was giving them.

"J-James you didn't happen to find this—?" Remus began, taking the letter into his hands and fingering it, "You didn't read it—did you?"

James, who seemed to be perspiring more than usual, rumpled the back of his head nervously. He then answered back in a sort of casual laugh: "Of course not!" he lied, patting Sirius on the back, "Sirius here, just found it lying on the ground."

Remus looked back at them curiously then smiled; James and Sirius were off the hook they were successful in hiding the truth. It wasn't a good thing to be proud of, but they had a fairly good reason as to why they shouldn't tell Remus what they had found out. The poor light brown haired boy would probably become sad and avoid them, and that was the last thing they'd want to happen.

"Thanks," replied Remus, the pain in his eyes vanishing.

Even though Remus' pain seemed to vanish, James felt a harsh pang in his heart from the reply, and he merely nodded back to him. He couldn't find any words to say to his good friend; Sirius had been right, they shouldn't have read the letter. They shouldn't have stepped into the world Remus Lupin's person life, it just wasn't right. It felt as though another burden was put upon his shoulders for him to carry, and it seemed like he was going to regret it for the rest of his life…

----------------------------------------------------------------

The following morning seemed very calm, and James probably wouldn't have woken up if it not for the fact that Sirius Black were in existence in that room at the time. James who had been all snuggled up in his blanket, dreaming about who knows what, was abruptly awoken by an excruciatingly loud and excited voice:

"It's DONE!" Sirius exclaimed, lifting the parchment up to get a nicer look at it. Besides the fact that Sirius' hair and his face looked as perfect as it always did, the boy had rather large bags under his eyes.

James wasn't very surprised though, Sirius was still working on his essay when he closed his eyes and fell asleep. The Astrological Constellation essay was supposed to be a weeks long project, and Sirius had tried to do it in _one _night. Talk about procrastination! Sirius really didn't have a choice in the matter though, because it was Wednesday today and they had Astrology classes at midnight that night.

Professor Sinistra had told them about three weeks ago that the essay would be due that day and there would be a lovely surprise for all of them to see that very night _if_ they handed in their essays.

"Here yah go, mate!" Sirius mumbled, stumbling over to James and handing him his essay, "Don't worry about me too much… just…tired."

"Serves you right though." Implored Remus, who had also most likely awoken from Sirius' sudden outburst, "I told you to finish it, didn't I?"

"You said no such thing!" growled Sirius, drooping his head onto James' shoulder, "Do we have to go to class…?"

James laughed and patted him on the head; he felt a tad bit sorry for Sirius. Without anything else to do they slowly got out of their beds and hurriedly changed into their uniforms; breakfast was probably already being served downstairs, and they were all quite desperate to get some sort of food into their empty stomachs.

Peter was the first to finish dressing and he waited for them by the door; his attire was very simple and he looked just like any other Gryffindor student at Hogwarts. Remus was delayed a bit for his hair had grown out a bit more than usual making him have to brush his hair even more precise to make it look neat. Peter and Remus, who were always the first to finish, began conversing over the upcoming classes to pass time as they waited for Sirius and James to finish up.

"Sirius, you having trouble?" Peter asked, looking at the droopy-eyed mess that was Sirius; the boy seemed to be having a very tough time getting his tie on properly.

"I'm fine! Fine! Just perfectly fine!" grumbled Sirius, redoing his tie for what seemed to be the fifth time. "Ruddy tie, there's something wrong with it."

It was very obvious to everyone that Sirius was in a particularly bad mood that morning considering the fact that he didn't get very much sleep. Even so, he was the next to finish dressing and he leaned against the door, closing his eyes hoping to get at least five minutes of sleep.

James was always the last person to finish up. The messy-haired boy would always get done dressing first, _but_ he was always the last to finish. The delay was caused by his messy hair, his unfixable hair that would _never_ stay down. Quick flattening charms didn't even have a single effect on his indestructible mess that he called his hair! He would try combing it down for hours, keeping everyone waiting.

"Bloody hell!" shouted James, _still_ combing it.

"Give it up, mate. It'll never work; we even tried some muggle peanut-what's-it-paste, remember?" sighed Sirius exasperatedly, then turning to Remus and Peter he add, "And that method didn't turn out very well."

"Oh! Shut it." James muttered, tossed the comb aside and joining his friend at the doorway, "Genetics, don't you just hate them?"

The four of them quickly walked out of the door and toward the Great Hall for breakfast. Remus and James had to literally carry Sirius all over the place for the boy was much too exhausted to do anything much the less eat! Out of the three of them, they had to each take turns shoving food into his mouth; Sirius wasn't very pleased with it and kept bang his head on the table to keep them from suffocating him with food.

"You have to eat something!" James exclaimed nudging at Sirius, "People are staring…"

"I dun wanna…" he mumbled back, he voice trailing off as he hid his face with his hands.

They all shrugged. It didn't seem like Sirius was going to cheer up any time soon. Just when the mail began swooping in, Remus jerked forward all of a sudden as if he had remembered something

"Something wrong, Remus?"

"Huh? Oh, I just have this strange feeling that I forgot something important." He replied scratching his head. "Not quite sure what, though."

Peter who had just finished reading a letter from his mother looked up at Remus and replied innocently, "Oh, did you forget to look at my calendar? You usually ask me every morning so I left it out today for you to look at. Is that what you forgot?"

"That's right! I almost forgot—!" He exclaimed, but soon noticed the suspicious glances both James and Sirius were giving him, "Oh—you know, we have Astrology class tonight, I just wanted to know what moon would be out while we're gazing. We get extra point for Gryffindor if we answer correctly to Professor Sinistra, right? Um…I'll check it out later…"

"Hey that's a good idea…!" Sirius exclaimed groggily, lifting his head. "We should have done that, Jamesie."

Even though the alibi was quite accurate and Remus made a very good point, there was just something not right about it. James didn't know what it was, but he knew for certain that that was not the main reason why Remus wanted to look at Peter's Daily Moon Phase Calendar…

After breakfast, it was time for Charms Class with Professor Flitwick. Sirius slept through that class with ease; Remus who was forced to pair up with him regretted it very much. The lots of them were learning quick spells that could possibly come in handy, like the bubble-head and _Alohamora_ charms.

James and Peter, who had teamed up together came out with very good marks at the end of class, but Sirius and Remus only barely made passing grades. Professor Flitwick apparently had pity on Remus for having a partner that didn't listen to directions and gave them some extra consideration points.

After Charms, Sirius was sound asleep. There was absolutely no way anyone could, would, or should wake him up. 1) When Sirius was asleep there no possible way of waking him, 2) He wouldn't even bother to care who was disturbing him, and 3) if one were to successfully wakes him up you'd have to answer to his horrible wrath.

"How are we going to move him?" sighed Peter looking at Remus and James with sudden curiosity and interest. "We're not going to drag him again, are we?"

"No, I have a better idea…" James chuckled, pulling out his wand, "_Wingardium Leviosa!"_

The instant he said this, Sirius was lifted in mid-air. Peter clapped his hands at the wondrous spell James had thought of and they were off to their next class, History of Magic with Professor Binns. Several of the passing students laughed at the sight of the sleeping boy floating in mid-air. Bellatrix, who was one of those who walked by, pretended as best she could to act like she had never seen them before in her entire life. Fortunately for Sirius, History of Magic was excruciatingly slow and almost everyone fell asleep during this class anyway so he got a whole class that he was able to sleep through without any disturbances.

Oddly enough, though, after History of Magic Sirius _still_ hadn't woken up. He slept not only through break, but also slept into Herbology class. Unfortunately for him, though, Professor Sprout didn't let him have much sleep during her class. Kept shouting at him, she did, it was the only possible way to keep Sirius awake, or so say she. Even though that was a pretty accurate tip by Professor Sprout, shouting was the very last thing James wanted to do to Sirius.

Thankfully enough after Herbology was lunch, and by that time Sirius had _finally_ caught up on his sleep. James, Remus, and Peter were quite thankful for this because they didn't want to have to shove food into his mouth like what they had to do during breakfast.

Everyone knew that Sirius had a very good reason to be awake. His reason for being wide-awake wasn't just because he caught on his sleep though; it was quite simple really, for there next class happened to be Potions. For some odd and unknown reason, the Potions class happened to _always_ be a double class, and the Gryffindors were _always_ paired the Slytherins. So why, exactly, does Sirius need to be awake for Double-Potions? Even Peter himself could find the answer to that question! It was—

"_Snivellus_." Scowled Sirius harshly, upon entering the drafty Potions Chamber, his eyes were fixed on the greasy black haired, hooked nosed boy walking in front of him. Peter's eyes glittered at the sound of Sirius' scowl; the small boy was probably thinking about what kind of jinx or hex Sirius was going to do on Snape.

"Keep it to a minimum." Implored Remus, furrowing his brows as he sat in a seat next to Peter.

The tables and seats were set up in pairs; in Potions, both Peter and Remus knew not to pair up with neither James nor Sirius for those two had a score to settle with Snape. Instead the two of them paired up with each other and sat behind them. As usual, the duo sat next to each other, obviously a table away from Snape and his partner who, today, happened to be Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy was supposed to be in his fourth year, but for some unknown and suspicious reason he was sitting in with the first years.

Every Potions class would literally be a war of the ingredients and who makes the best potions. Sirius was more serious about it than James; he just happened to be the back up just in case Sirius was "killed" in the line of fire. Snape was a very worthy victim—erm—opponent for Sirius because of his rather good potion brewing skills. Even so, Sirius seemed to win most of the time, but on occasions Snape got higher points leaving Sirius to be scarred and hurt for life.

"What potion!?" Sirius stammered at their poor Potion's teacher that had to deal with this kind of thing practically every other day.

"We'll be brewing Boils Cure Po—"

The Professor sighed and scratched his head when he realized that Sirius was no longer listening and had already started taking all the ingredients and setting them out in front of his cauldron. Remus shrugged, opened his Potions book (_Magical Drafts and Potions _by _Arsenius Jigger_) and began reading thoroughly about the Boils Cure Potion before doing anything. Peter, who had left his book up in the dormitory, cocked his head to have a better look at the ingredients on Remus' textbook before taking them out.

Sirius tossed James their book of Potions, and James immediately opened the book and murmured to Remus, "What page?"

"Four hundred and twenty-five. Seriously, you could've looked in the index—"

"We're not going to look at an index for something like that!" Sirius muttered waving his hand lazily.

Remus sighed, but Peter seemed rather impressed by Sirius and James; his small eyes were full of so much wonder and awe.

"Dried Nettles?" James asked, naming off the ingredient necessary for this potion.

"Check." Sirius answered back.

"Crushed snake fangs?"

"Got it."

"Stewed horned slugs?"

"Right here."

"And lastly, porcupine quills?"

"Uhh… I thought _you_ brought those."

"Oh, you're right!" James exclaimed, pulling out a small bottle of long porcupine quills from his pocket, "I forgot all about 'em."

From Snape's table Remus heard Snape mutter under his breathe to his partner, "Stupid good for nothings, think they're better than everyone else…"

Sirius and James apparently hadn't heard Snape's insult for they were already putting their cauldron on the fire to heat. Remus turned to Peter who had apparently gone white with fright and he, for some reason, was silently whimpering to himself.

"Is something the matter, Peter?" he asked, looking at him with concern.

"I-I forgot to bring the slugs…" Peter cried out in a soft voice so only a few could hear him.

Remus sighed and patted Peter on the shoulder; without the horned slugs, the two of them couldn't possible leave the class with passing grades. Remus didn't yell at Peter like Sirius would most likely have done, rather he tried to comfort Peter as best he could; they could flunk once and a while, right? It wasn't _that _bad…

Sirius and James overheard their friends' predicament, and quickly came to their rescue. The two of them, who had finished brewing their potion, had a lot of extra horned slugs, and being really reliable friends, they were quick to help out.

"Hey, Peter," Sirius said smiling, "You didn't forget them, James was just holding them for you. Isn't that right, Remus?"

Remus blinked, but mutely nodded while James quickly set down a half-full bottle of horned slugs onto their table. Peter looked up at the bottle then to James and Sirius, and he immediately stopped whimpering. Remus smiled at his two good friends; as much as James and Sirius were girl-crazed and sort of arrogant, the two of them were really good people at heart. The both of them were very loyal, and Remus noticed it that very second they contributed. Peter wasn't as stupid as you would have thought, for he knew for sure that that was _their_ bottle not his because of the fact that he never had horned slugs to begin with. Even so, he gratefully took the bottle and emptied it into their heated cauldron that Remus had taken off the fire.

Snape who had overheard the whole thing sneered at the thought of it all.

"Looking out for your wimpy friend, Black?" Snape scathed, "Or are you just looking out for him to save your own neck? Just like all the other people in your family."

Sirius froze and his face darkened. James knew by now that Sirius hated being a Black, and that remark clearly severed a mark deep within him. Sirius, personally, knew what Snape said was true about his family, but he wanted to believe that he wasn't like that; he didn't want to be like the rest of the heartless people in his family.

James glared harshly at Snape, for it was the only thing he could do at that moment, he had no clue what kind of bad mouthing he could possibly say right then and there. The remark was just so harsh that it left them to stare at him with the utmost revulsion.

Snape, as well as Malfoy, looked rather pleased with themselves, but even before anyone could do anything about it Remus boldly spoke out for them:

"_Snivelly_, as much as my friends loathe you, and how much you hate us. I must ask you to keep your greasy hair and you abnormally large nose out of ours, and other people's, businesses, thank you very much."

He said all this in one breath silencing everyone. James, Sirius, Peter, Snape, and Malfoy stared at Remus in awe and disbelief. That was the very first time they ever heard Remus badmouth _anyone_. Remus took no notice of their emotionless stares; rather he continued to work on his and Peter's Boils Cure Potion.

Not wanting to start any more trouble neither Snape nor Malfoy decided to say anything else during the rest of the class. Class ended shortly after and everyone filed out quickly to go about their own businesses before supper. Sirius and James had won once again and gained one point more than Snape and Malfoy had.

"Oh… what an achievement." Said Remus sarcastically as they walked through the corridor toward their usual hangout spot by the oak tree, "You got one point more than your enemy."

"Achievement, indeed! I'm so glad we beat him!" Sirius exclaimed, putting his arm around Remus, "Oh, and thanks for backing me up, Remie."

"Remie—? What are you playing at?" Remus frowned, "I'm not very proud of badmouthing Severus, it's just that I had about enough of his idiotic remarks."

"You're all so cool!" Peter shouted out, in wonder walking backwards while facing Remus, "I thought it was brilliant, what you did."

"You're just cool as us, Peter." James winked, rumpling his hair. He then turned to Sirius and stammered, "Would you quite with the nicknames, already? I've had about enough of _Jamesie_."

Sirius snickered, "Why should I? Jamesie, Remie, and Petie!"

The three of them stared at Sirius with disgusted faces; what kind of corny nicknames was Sirius trying to give them? They continued to walk and before they knew it the oak tree finally came into view; its leaves briskly swayed in the wind as a small gust of wind blew passed.

"I don't like Petie!" wailed Peter flailing his arms.

"Remie… is such a bad name." Remus added.

"Jamesie is a _girl's_ name for Merlin's sakes!"

Sirius laughed at his three friends, rushed over the oak tree, and took his seat against the tree before responding, "But Jamesie—!"

"_Stop_!" snapped the three of them all at once.

Sirius frowned; he apparently got the message now. James, Remus, and Peter sat down victoriously, finally free of corny nicknames and they relaxed on the soft grass in front of the castle. As usual, James lay flat on his back staring up at the sky from behind his circular spectacles while Peter and Remus sat upright gazing around the Hogwarts' grounds.

There were several groups of people making their way through the corridors and walking about on the grass in front of them cheerfully. None of them seemed to pay any attention to the group of Magical Mischief-Makers relaxing under the cool shade of the oak tree. The students all seemed much too wrapped up in the things they were doing to really bother to look around at the scenery that stood in front of them.

The day had been quite eventful, and the four of them had many things on their minds that had to do with what had happened that day. As James continued to reflect on everything going through his mind, he took note of how wonderful the sky looked from down here; the elegant shades of blue began smearing together and a sudden shade of crimson began to spread across the sky as the sun began setting. With the sun dimming, the clouds slowly began to fade with it, and James caught glimpse of what appeared to be a small portion of the moon. It was apparently poking its round head out from behind the dissipating clouds.

"Hey look! I got the first glimpse of the moon!" James exclaimed pointing upward. Sirius glanced at James and smirked while Peter stared up at the moon his face in complete awe. Remus, on the other hand, didn't look up; he clutched his chest and shuddered. Perspiration was beginning to drip along his weary face to his shaking palms completely drenching his cloak. None of his friends seemed to notice; and Remus looked quite glad they hadn't yet.

"It's coming out!" James shouted, still looking up, "Wow, it looks like it's full!"

"F-full—?" Remus gasped looking around at his friends.

"No, not yet…" Peter mumbled staring, "It's close to it though…I think it's still a waxing gibbous! Maybe 93% to Full…"

Sirius grinned at Peter then looked back up at the sky, "You know your phases, don't you, 'lil Peter? Hm?" he finally noticed that Remus was shaking and breathing heavily, "You all right?"

"Me…? Fine!" Remus laughed, trying his best to fake a smile, "D-do you think it'll be full tonight, Peter?"

The yellow-haired boy turned to him curiously and shook his head, "I can't tell… Why do you wanna know?"

"Just—Just want to know what moon we'll be seeing tonight during Astronomy."

James finally sat up, he looked at Remus; he knew for certain now that he was up to something. Remus was just covering it up with Astronomy that night, why in the world would he be so interested in the moon…? There was something just not right about the situation. _Remus,_ James thought to himself,_ why don't you just tell us…? What's bothering you?_

"Uhh… I'll check the calendar, all right?" Remus huffed, wiping some sweat from his face, standing up and looking down at his two friends. "I'll be all right alone, don't worry about me! I'll meet you in the Great Hall."

With that said, Remus stood up and walked away from them. James felt as though he had lost the ability to talk; there was something holding him back. For some strange reason, he began to have a very horrible feeling of foreboding, like something was going to strange was about to happen that night at midnight. Something that was to change their normal mischievous little lives from that time forward…

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**:: The Rest to Come Soon! ::**

**_Next Chapter: The Moon's Sorrow_**

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The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round

THE FRIGGEN WHEELS ON THE BUS ROUND AND ROUND ALL THROUGH THE TOWN!

The driver on the bus says move on back, move on back!

THE FRIGGEN DRIVER ON THE BUS SAYS MOVE ON BACK ALL THROUGH THE TOWN!

The author of this fic says review this fic, review this fic.

THE GIT AUTHOR OF THIS FIC SAYS REVIEW THIS FIC ALL THROUGH HER TOWN!

(Overly hyper... sorry... I was also severely beaten by my fellow towns people for screaming all over the town )


	19. Chapter 19: The Moon's Sorrow

**cascadingmagic** **- **Thanks for reading :D

**Felicity 14** **- **How do I write this? To tell you the truth, I just write the first thing that comes to my mind... I'm glad you like it

**koriaena** **-** Thanks a bunch, mate!

**Joslin - **Here's the update! I'm sorry I couldn't update sooner; I had absolutely no inspiration .

**Author's Note -** Inspiration is hard to come by... Please make due with this chapter for a while, I warn you it's another cliffhanger-ish chapter ;. If you can't handle another cliffhanger from me you might wanna wait till I post the next chapter. Till next update!

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**Chapter Nineteen: The Moon's Sorrow**

Remus' sudden departure left everyone in utter silence. The heated air of summer seemed to cool down as time progressed further and a slight breeze appear to sweep upon the three lying on the grass below the oak tree. The tree itself seemed to shiver at the sudden chilliness that passed, but immediately fell silent afterward. Sirius who had his back against the tree, laid his head lazily against its trunk and dozed off; Peter also appeared to have fallen asleep, snoring loudly every once and a while.

James didn't understand how they could possibly doze off after seeing Remus leave as suddenly as he had. It bothered him so much that he began to rock back and forth in anxiety; there was definitely something wrong about this he just _knew _it. It scared him to think that Sirius and Peter could sleep so soundly; were they that clueless and uncaring, didn't they realize it…? Was he the only one out of his group to realize how strange Remus had been acting for the passed year? Maybe it was just him; maybe he was just be thinking too much. Oh, how he wished that it were only in his head. The more James thought about it the more worried and unsure he became.

"I know what you're thinking 'bout, mate." Grumbled Sirius, blinking his eyes open, "Remus, right? He's been acting mighty strange all year, I've sort of gotten used to it, yah know?"

James rumpled his hair and shrugged his shoulders, "I don't blame you either." He replied stretching out his legs, "What do you think…? Should we follow him?"

It took Sirius several minutes before he answered. Peter had rolled over in his sleep mumbling nonsense words as he did so; both James and Sirius smiled sheepishly at Peter; despite his clueless attitude, they had to admit that the boy looked beyond innocent. "Mum…" murmured Peter, snorting loudly. They both chuckled at him for the boy's mouth now hung wide open for all insects to fly in.

"We should take Remus' word for it," began Sirius as he got on both feet, "He'd think we didn't trust him, plus he did say he'd meet us for supper, didn't he?"

James nodded mutely, obviously having nothing else to say about the matter. Even so, he was still concerned and he felt very worried about the entire situation. Sirius brushed some of his bangs from his face and nudged the snoozing boy on the grass below him with his foot. Peter jerked upward, frantically glancing around in panic for the source that had awoken him. His little eyes appeared wide with fear as though he was waiting for something to attack him.

"Hey! It's just us, Peter, no worries." Laughed James, rubbing the boy's head comfortingly, "All right?"

The blonde-haired boy squeaked at the sight of his two friends and nearly fell over. Sirius frowned as he watched little Peter regain his balance and stand up; the boy appeared to be quivering violently. He looked fearfully at his two friends then sighed deeply.

"All right, Peter?"

Sirius scratched his head furiously and scoffed, "Bad dream, perhaps?"

Peter nodded vigorously and flung himself around Sirius wailing at the top of his lungs. Sirius, who had not been prepared for such, stumbled to the ground and Peter along with him. Several students who had been passing by moved along quickly hoping not to get involved with whatever was going on. James blinked; he had not realized what had happened and found himself staring mindlessly at the two of them lying on he floor both dazed and distraught.

"I-it was horrible!" cried Peter; his eyes filled with fresh tears, which dripped along his nose, staining Sirius' cloak, "Howling and screaming—running—almost died—blood everywhere—!"

"Calm down, Peter." Said James, kneeling beside them, "It was nothing but a bad dream. Not a thing to worry—"

"But—But—werewolf!" Peter gasped, clutching Sirius firmly, as though he was a large teddy bear, "Sharp teeth! Yellow eyes—drooling—mad werewolf! Fifty of 'em!"

Sirius twitched at the sudden tightness around his torso area, and began gasping for air. As much as Peter seemed like a weak and feeble little boy, it appeared as though looks didn't mean anything in his case. James knew, from experience, that when Peter was frightened he would clutch to something—anything—for dear life. The messy-haired boy still had bruise marks from the last time Peter had grabbed his arm.

"A-as muh-much as you en-enjoy watching me suffer, J-James," Sirius huffed, trying to get out of Peter's clutches, "W-would you _please_ get him off me!?"

James had to literally tear Peter away from Sirius, leaving horrible scratch marks all over his good cloak. The both of them knew for a fact that Peter had a very bad habit of chewing on his nails and it was beyond them how such marks happened to appear even slightly on his cloak. After Peter finally settled down he hid his face in his hands, apparently still shaken by his nightmare.

"You know, maybe a bit of food will get it out o' your mind!" James suggested, helping the both of them to their feet, "There shouldn't be any werewolves for miles, anyways."

Peter bit his lip and mumbled, "Okay…"

Another swift gust of wind blew passed them causing their cloaks to sway and a few loose leaves fell from the branches above them. James had a strange feeling for something caught his eye from above — something from the Gryffindor tower above them. Out of mere instinct, he traced his eyes to their dormitory window and caught a glimpse of someone, probably Remus, staring down at them. The moment their eyes met, Remus immediately shut the window's velvet curtain.

"Remus!" James gasped, staring upward. He was dumbstruck, what was wrong with him? Sirius and Peter looked at James curiously then up at where he was staring.

"Remus…?" Peter repeated, his tone questionable.

"I don't see anything except the castle, mate." Joked Sirius, patting James on the shoulder, "Feeling okay?"

James jerked himself back to reality and looked at his two friends, "Fine." He said plainly, turning around to walk in the direction of the Great Hall, "I—I must be seeing thing."

Upon entering the Great Hall they quickly noted that Remus was nowhere in sight; James didn't find this very surprising because of the fact that he had seen, or imagined, Remus only moments before up in the dormitory. He didn't really let this get to his head because maybe Remus was on his way down there right now._ No need to worry, _James thought as he took his seat at the far end of the Gryffindor table nearest to where Professor Dumbledore and the other Professors sat, _he's just fine… there's absolutely nothing wrong._

Peter immediately sat down next to James pulled his plate close to him and grabbed as much food as he could possibly get and threw them onto his plate. Sirius, unlike Peter, slumped down into his seat, lazily banged his elbows onto the table, and then rested his chin upon his hands.

"You going to eat that, mate?" Sirius asked Peter, staring at the leftover chicken that he refused to touch, "What kind of surprise do you think Professor Sinistra has for us tonight?"

James cocked his head to one side and thought about it for a moment then scoffed, "Not sure, but knowing Sinistra, she'll give us something interesting. Something we can all go '_Ohhh_' and '_Ahhh_' over."

Sirius laughed at James' utter sarcastic attitude then took a rather large bite into a chicken leg. James blinked at the sight of it; Sirius must have been very hungry. The handsome chap quickly tore it from his mouth, like some animal, and carefully chewed, ignoring the meat sticking out of his mouth and the constant oil that dripped along his chin and onto the table's surface.

"That was very attractive," James muttered, looking away from Sirius' disgusting table mannerisms, "I'm sure all the canines in the world will fall for you."

Sirius swallowed the last of his chicken and wiped his mouth vigorous with a cloth. He then frowned and shot a glare at the back of James' head, a sly smirk appearing across his face and retorted, "At least I have _some_ kind of species falling for me."

Several other Gryffindors who had over heard gasped with delight at Sirius' most menacing comeback. Peter, being as clueless as always, continued eating his plateful of food. James, on the other hand, laughed and turned to face Sirius with a darkened look upon his bright face. Even though James had been completely humiliated in front of a fair many of people, he couldn't erase the fact that they all had their attention on them. They were all attentively awaiting him to have some sort of a comeback of his own. His other weakness had finally been revealed to himself at that moment; James would do anything for attention.

"Well, now, mate," James began, rumpling his hair as he did so, "At least I won't have to clean up after 'em, and when you do get married, make me the best man! Have many pups together. I'd be so pleased to have a puppy for a godson."

Sirius' face faulted; a horrible image drifted across his mind nearly making him want to throw up all he had eaten. James, as well as several others nearby, laughed humorously at the thought.

About thirty minutes had passed before students began standing up from their seats, all tired and restless. Each of them walked out of the Great Hall toward the comfort of their common rooms and dormitories. James, Sirius, and Peter, on the other hand, were the very last people to leave the Hall. The three of them hadn't seen hide or tail of Remus and didn't know whether the boy was on his way down, or was going to stay up in their dormitory.

"Where is he!?" Sirius grumbled, tossing a meatless bone onto a silver plate full of table scraps.

Peter pushed his plate away from his face and looked up at Sirius with concern. James glanced over to the double doors of the Great Hall hoping to see a glimpse of their weary-faced friend happily waving to them from a distance. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen any time soon, instead, the doorway stood empty. The statement was clear: Remus wasn't coming. James shrugged and sank back into his seat with his head against the table. Just as he did so, some sort of shadow moved silently behind him. Sirius lazily looked up at whom it was, while Peter poked around at some of the pudding he hadn't eaten with his fork.

James, being as desperate as he was, spun around excitedly. He hoped with all his might that the one standing behind him was the one person they had been waiting for; "Remus!" he yelled. James didn't want to believe that his friend had lied to them yet again, for there was absolutely no reason for him to do so. He wished that all his concerns were not real, as if his conscience had made them up.

"Bad luck, James." Mumbled Sirius with a sigh.

James' bright and excited face faded as soon as he met eyes with the person behind him. His wishes had been in vain. The one that stood behind him was none other than the white bearded Professor Dumbledore with his half-moon spectacles. There was an unusually strange and concerned expression that was pressed between Dumbledore's wrinkled face that made James want to question it.

"Alas, Remus I am not." Dumbledore said swiftly eying James lightly with his kind eyes. "Is something troubling you three?"

James looked around at Sirius and Peter, not knowing whether to say anything or not. Sirius, apparently didn't know what else to say either because he was looking very intently at James as if waiting for him to start the conversation. Peter whimpered slightly and sank deeper into his seat. Dumbledore, on the other hand, smiled warmly at them; it was strange, from his expression, James felt as though Dumbledore had the ability to read minds, and he shuddered at the thought of it.

"Not all things are what they seem or appear to be," said Dumbledore swiftly, "I believe your friend is waiting for you up in your dormitory?" Dumbledore then turned to walk away then added, "You may find yourself using the surprise to your advantage…"

James stared at their headmaster; he seemed very interested; was Dumbledore telling them something…? What did he mean by 'using the surprise'? What's surprise…? Peter blinked; he was apparently confused at what Dumbledore had just told them and was left completely speechless.

"What do you mean—?" sputtered James, standing up from his seat, "Professor!"

Dumbledore waved a hand to them and trotted off, his voice echoing through the corridors, "Have a good evening!"

His voice faded almost as soon as it had passed through their ears, leaving the Great Hall in complete silent. They were apparently, now, the only people left there. Sirius scratched his head in wonder as he stood up to join James who was still staring at the doorway as he had been doing while waiting for Remus to show. Sirius let there be a brief silence before he spoke in order to let James have time to think things through.

"He's mad," murmured Sirius, patting James on the shoulder.

Peter stood up as well and waddled over to his friends then added, "Me mum tells me that Dumbledore's the best Headmaster Hogwart's has ever seen."

James and Sirius looked at each other and laughed; Peter, not knowing was so funny frowned.

"Then, I guess, everyone else was probably plum crazy, I reckon." Stated James, his usual smirk appearing across his solemn face.

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James led the way through the empty corridors; the periodic chirps from the grasshoppers and insects outside would sound every now and again making a rather beautiful harmony of music as they walked up to where their common room was hidden. Peter, who had an unusually large memory bank, walked in front of them completely determined to declare the password to the Fat Lady. Upon arriving, though, the Fat Lady's door was already opened wide for them and everyone else. Peter was very saddened upon seeing this, but James and Sirius were quite skeptical about the whole thing.

Just before they were about to ask any questions amongst each other, Raven Crescent and another Gryffindor boy, by the name of Samuel Merton, came walking out towards them both with looks of excitement on their faces.

"James! Sirius! Remus!" Raven exclaimed, her eyes looking at each of them, "Where've you been? Classes with Professor Sinistra are starting in less than thirty minutes!"

Sirius waved his hand dismissively and replied, "We already knew, is that why this door's been open? You lot been waiting for us?"

"Sort of," mumbled Merton, scratching the back of his head, "Well, Lupin won't answer the door, and we thought that it would only be proper for _you_ to remind him… Didn't want to disturb him, yah know?

Peter wandered into the common room ahead of them while they continued to think about what was going on about Remus. There was definitely something up, and it appeared as though the only way to find out what was wrong was to ask him themselves. James shrugged; things were beginning to become more and more complicated as the night went by.

Merton tugged on Raven's cloak then walked out into the corridor behind where the two of them stood. "Raven and I are going on ahead. There are a lot of people there already," he said smiling, "Remember, it's in the tallest tower!"

With a small wave Merton ran off, disappeared behind a corner. Raven ran after him, but stopped and turned to James grinning from ear to ear. The girl apparently had something else to say:

"Oh yeah! I was able to get some information out of Professor Sinistra," Raven told them, folding her arms confidently, "The surprise tonight's going to a meteor shower! You rarely see any of those anymore, right?" she squealed with much excitement, "Well, see you there! Mind if you tell Lily I went on ahead? Appreciate it!"

Sirius lazily brushed his hair from the side of his face and watched as she disappeared from sight. Not only did they have to deal with Remus, but now they had to go talk with Evans, too! When things couldn't get any more complicated than they already were. When she had finally gone the two boys walked into the fairly crowded common room and join Peter at the other end; their yellow-haired friend was apparently very interested in a card game of exploding snaps that two third years were playing.

Sirius surveyed the game for a second, then turned to James and gave him a rather exhausted looked; "I'll check on Remus, you deal with the Evans girl." He sighed, folding his hands behind his neck, "It'll be faster, and you know the girl better than I do, anyways."

James agreed simultaneously with Sirius' idea, and he quickly looked about the common room. The place appeared to be more crowded than usual, which was most likely Raven's doing. She had probably been going about telling everyone that there was to be a meteor shower that night. For all he knew, the Ravenclaws, Slytherins, and Hufflepuffs were probably up and waiting for the shower to occur as well. He shrugged; the more crowded it was the harder it was to find someone, and it was particularly harder this time because of the fact that nearly everyone was there.

After what seemed like forever, James gave up; the boy was exhausted and for all he knew Evans might still up in her dormitory. He thought about going up there himself, but the thought of him going up there alone made him turn the color of a red apple. The messy-haired boy sighed as he slumped onto one of the empty red chair right next to where Peter was _still_ watching the two people playing with exploding snaps. He then rested his head against the back of the chair and closed his eyes. _So this is what stress feels like,_ he thought to himself trying to imagine what had happened that day, _and I thought today was going to be a good one…_

There was a rather loud explosion that erupted a few seconds later; several of the students nearby screamed, but James didn't even flinch. The boy already knew that it came from those blasted exploding snaps, a fairly recent invention that children as well as adults loved to play with. James was quite fond of exploding snaps; he used to use the cards for pranks and gags on unsuspecting neighbors. He was so used to them exploding in front of his own face that he didn't even bother any more, it was like a normal thing to him now; he merely opened one of his closed eyes to see the outcome of the explosion.

"Oy! Next time don't stand there." Informed James, obviously talking to Peter whose face was as black as charcoal, "You're lucky it didn't singe your eyebrows, mate."

Peter looked down sadly then squeaked in a soft voice, "Oh… okay."

It was at that moment that Sirius walked toward them, and to James' disappointment, without Remus Lupin. Sirius looked very glum as he walked toward them, and James had a very bad gut feeling about this even before Sirius opened his mouth. Peter, who had tried his best to clean his face, looked at Sirius in worry. The handsome chap sank into the next comfy red chair right next to James and shrugged.

"Found Evans?"

"No." James admitted, heaving a great sigh, "Any luck with Remus?"

"No. He won't even answer the door!" Sirius exclaimed, furiously rubbing the back of his neck.

James blinked and then looked at his handsome friend in surprise, "Why didn't you just open the door yourself?"

"What?"

"_Why didn't you just open the door…?_"

Sirius frowned and looked at James with contempt, "The door was _locked_, James."

"Yeah, so?"

"How do you expect me to open a locked door…?"

"You have a wand don't you? Are you not a wizard?"

Upon noticing this, Sirius felt his cheeks burn red with embarrassment. Why was it always he that made such a fool out of himself? James took note that Sirius had begun blushing and he chuckled under his breath. Peter also found this rather humorous and smiled widely at the both of them.

"Don't take it personally, mate," James laughed, standing up, "Shall we check on ol' Remus now?"

The common room seemed to be filled with everyone from second year and up, apparently all the first years, except them, had already gone up to Professor Sinistra. By now, they probably had only ten or fifteen more minutes before their class started so now wasn't the time to be laying around doing nothing. James, Sirius, and Peter didn't waste any time to pass through all the students, and by the time they reached the spiraling stairs of their tower they had already begun sprinting. Upon reaching the door of their room, they took a moment to catch their breaths.

"Care to knock, Peter?" James huffed, his hand against his chest trying to slow his breathing.

Peter, being the shortest of the group, nodded his little head and knocked about five times evenly on the smooth wooden door. After the knock there came a rather distinct thud as if something or someone fell, and then a bit of rustling from within the room. James exchanged curious glances between his friends before checking to see it the door was open. It was locked, just as Sirius had said.

"Remus?" called Sirius, putting his face close to the door, "Are yeh in there, mate?"

There came no answer.

James scratched the back of his head and then called out, "We're coming in all right?" he then whipped out his wand and exclaimed in a rather loud voice, "_Alohomora!"_

There came a soft click from the door, signaling to them that the door had been unlocked already. Peter, being the closest to the doorknob, opened the door slowly and entered the room. To their surprise the room was pitch black, the curtains had been drawn shut and not even a candle was lit. James, who still had his wand out, was about to flick one of the candles on when a rather firm grip held fast his hand, immediately stopping him from casting his little charm.

"Remus!" gasped Peter, his eyes as wide as plates.

"Hello," murmured Remus weakly from within the darkness. "I recommend that you not turn on any lights."

The three of them glanced around the room and were able to get a glimpse of what appeared to be the outline of Remus' body. There also appeared to be a faint light coming from Peter's end of the room. Peter immediately knew what it was, his Daily Moon Phase Calendar which appeared to be emitting the light of the moon from within its pages. Sirius along with Peter walked over to the calendar to have a look at it.

"Something wrong, Remus?" James asked curiously, looking his figure. "We didn't see you in the Great Hall, did something keep you?"

There was a fairly short silence before he answered back, "I just had to do a few things…"

Peter, who had his mitts on the calendar beamed widely at them; Remus who was still holding to James' hand finally let go and walked over to his poster to sit down, while James, on the other hand, walked over to his two other friends to have a look at the calendar himself. Sirius shrugged his shoulders, but didn't bother to look at it anymore; it was most apparent that he didn't understand what the calendar was talking about so, instead, he casually walked over to Remus' poster.

"We can talk about what you did later," Sirius mumbled, relaxing his hands behind his head, "After Astronomy class, all right? We're really going to be late."

James let out a hearty laugh and took at look at the calendar. The calendar, itself, look slightly complicated, but it didn't seem very foreign to him. At the very top of the page there was an exact replica of what the moon looked like outside, it looked fantastic and he felt entranced for a second as he stared at it. _Bloody effects! _He thought, eyes sparkling,_ not even a _werewolf_ could tell the difference! _Below the image, there appeared to be some handwritten words that appeared to be fairly small to read. The moon took so much room that it left the words much too small for James to read without squinting. He read to himself:

_Waxing Gibbous_

_97.6% to Full_

_Wed 19 March, 1972_

His sudden hope and awe vanished as he read this and he shrugged; did this mean that it wasn't going to be a full moon that night? The one thing James liked most about the night sky was a full moon, the meteor shower that night wouldn't be complete without it! He rumpled his hair and turned to Peter; the yellow-headed boy seemed rather thrilled, his eyes appeared to be glowing from the light of the moon.

"All right, Peter?" James asked, grinning at the boy, "Yeh seem to be enjoying yourself."

Peter tore his gaze from the calendar and looked at James happily; he looked as if he was about to burst with joy. Sirius couldn't help but grin at the over excited boy for he appeared to be absolutely happy with himself.

"It's almost a full!" he exclaimed, "Almost! I bet it'll be full by the time we see the meteor shower!"

Remus jerked upward at the sound of Peter's voice and what he had said; it was going to be a full moon that night. James, whose eyes had finally gotten used to the darkness, noticed Remus' reaction and was about to mention what was wrong when he realized that the boy was trembling in fright. Remus had his hand clutched at his heart, and he appeared to be struggling with — something — inside of him.

Sirius stretched his arms lazily and stood up, "Well, shouldn't we all head up to the tower—?"

"You guys go on ahead," croaked Remus, the boy sounded as though was struggling to speak, "I — There's a better view of the m-meteor shower from here."

Peter, scratched his head, and waddled over to where James was standing and looked at Remus with curiosity. They all knew for a fact that Remus wasn't the type to miss classes just for enjoyment (that was James' kind of thing to do), and the thought of it just never seemed to click with them. Sirius crossed his arms and walked over to the open doorway; they were probably already five minutes late for class by now. James stared worriedly at his friend; he appeared to be the only one who realized that Remus was struggling to even talk, and possibly breathe.

"If there's a better view then we should all stay, too!" exclaimed Peter, hopping about as usual.

Remus turned to them, his face full of perspiration. "No, I insist you go on without me. I don't want you getting in trouble because of me." He gasped as if trying to grasp some air.

Before Peter or Sirius could protest or try to give their own opinion about how ridiculous Remus was sounding, James grabbed Peter's wrist and joined Sirius at the open doorway. Remus looked at them in surprise. His weary face stared at James in both shock and gratitude, he was apparently waiting for them to argue with him, but, at the same time, he was very grateful to him for interfering.

"I think Remus'll be all right on his own," James muttered, trying to hide the fact that he was gritting his teeth as he said this; he was trying to look as clueless and casual as his two friends beside him. "We're late as it stands anyway. Before we leave, Remus, have you seen Evans anywhere?" he asked, trying to calm his mind.

There was a slight bit of silence before the answer came, "I was talking to her in the common room before I came up here." He began, "She told me — she told me she'd be running late for class. She's up in her dormitory; she said not to worry about her."

James waved to Remus, closed the door, rushed down the spiral staircase, and into the common room. Peter and Sirius came down behind him not long afterwards; the both of them looked extremely flustered and angry, and James didn't even _want_ to look at their faces to answer any of the questions they had for him.

"Why'd you go and do that!?" stammered Sirius, his face redder than it had been before. Several passing students overheard him, but paid no heed or interest to their conversation.

James pressed a hand to his forehead and massaged it; he didn't even want to start on the topic of why he went and did what he did because even _he_ didn't understand why he did it. Peter, who saw James' reaction, didn't want to add to his stress and remain quiet about it. Unfortunately, Sirius was nothing like Peter, and being as stubborn as a mule, he wanted to know exactly what was going on in his best friend's head.

"Look, Sirius," James sputtered, walking towards the Fat Lady's door and out into the corridors, "We'll talk about it later, all right? I don't feel like it…"

Sirius shrugged and followed him, Peter tagging along behind. He knew that he wasn't going to get any information out of James by just yelling, especially in the state he was in now. There was a meteor shower after all; it was supposed to be something exciting! It hopefully would take some of the things off their minds for at least a brief moment. They could always ask Remus later what he thought of the meteor shower.

_That is if he'll talk to us,_ James thought as he walked up another flight of stairs, _or rather… if he's even there when we get back. _James stopped; what made him think _that_? Remus wouldn't go anywhere, where could he possibly go, anyway? He was their friend…he wouldn't just leave them, would he?

He shuddered at the thought of it; there was definitely something about what he had just thought that gave him second thoughts about going to class.

"Something bothering you?" asked Peter tugging lightly at James' cloak.

James jumped slightly, he felt as though he had just been pulled out of his own fantasy and back into reality. Sirius, who was the last person up the stairs, eyed James in question.

"No," he said firmly, "there's nothing bothering me at all."

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**:: STAY TUNED! ::**

**_Next Chapter: White Lies_**

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R emus, Lupin

E vans, Lily

V eritaserum

I mp

E dgecombe, Marietta

W eird Sisters

Uh.... yeah... .


	20. Chapter 20: White Lies

**Nic - **Thanks for pointing that out to me. I out to fix that soon; I just realized that. Haha, never learned Astronomy in grade school, so that's probably why.

**Celebrean - **I'm sooo sorry I didn't update soon enough. So here's the next update .

**Popularmonster - **Here's my update! And this one is just going to be the first year. I'm going todo their second year, third year, and so forth later after I finish this one. Hehe.

**koriaena**- Sorry if it's confusing you. Yes, I'm sorry for making Sirius act like an idiot > ...It's not my intent.

**cascadingmagic - **Oh, nope, I've never read Terry Pratchett. Must be interesting though I just put the Weird Sisters there because Tonks wears a shirt that says Weird Sisters on it. Oh and about how long this story will be... I'm not sure. I'm going to try and do this till their 7th year, just like the Harry Potter books . I hope I can achieve that... I already have the entire storyline planned out for it!

**Mirkwood -**I'm glad it's to your liking! Please keep reading!

**brennqt14**- Thanks for reading! Don't worry there should be more Sirius to go around later... grins

**Author's Notes:** It's been a while since I updated this, huh? I'm sorry all those who read this fic... you probably thought it was dead!Nope, I'm not done writing about the Marauders' adventures just yet! I must say, this is the longest chapter to date. Going a record of 13 pages long . Well, enjoy!

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****CHAPTER 20: ****WHITE LIES**

The eerily yellow glow from the lit torches of the great castle seemed to fill the corridors giving a sort of warm feel to the long winding hallways. Although the hallway seemed rather cozy, James and his friends appeared rather cold and glum as though walking down the road to their deaths. Thoughts of Remus left all alone in the dormitories clouded their minds; James was especially concerned now. A rush of doubt had come over him; perhaps he shouldn't have let Remus stay there all by himself. Even so, he refused to tell his two friends about his concern for it would only cause more worry. The boys, at the moment, weren't even remotely interested in seeing the meteor shower nor were they even thinking about it at all. They were late as it stood anyway, and Sinistra would most likely scold them when they got there so why bother rushing? The lot of them were literally dragging themselves to the tower!

"_Ohhh!_" shrieked a voice from behind them, a voice one would be stupid to forget. "Look it what I foun' 'ere!"

T'was Peeves the Poltergeist, ready to surprise you at times when least you need it. James winced his voice, but the lot continued walking as if they didn't hear a thing. Peeves, who was not one to be ignored, decided to pester at them a bit more in order to get their full attention. Peter, who was absolutely frightened of the menacing pesterer, quickly clung to Sirius' dark cloak, and urged him to walk faster.

"Yer late! _LATE_! That ol' hag Sinistra's gonna have a fit when I tell her I found you lot running amuck in the halls!" he squealed in a loud voice, a bright smile across his translucent face, "Oh oh! Maybe you're not running amuck, maybe yer lost? Lost are yeh? Are _yeh_? I can tell you where you're going! Lost little boys are sad little—!"

"Do us a favor and _you_ get lost, Peeves!" Sirius growled, spinning around to face the Poltergeist, wand at the ready, "Or shall I assist you at getting there?"

Peeves quickly shut his mouth when he saw the wand facing him, and eyed it carefully. His sinister smile melted into an unhappy frown as he noted that Sirius was not fooling. The handsome lad meant business. The code of the Black family: they mean what they say, and their actions definitely tell you when they mean business. Peter was nearly flung to the side when Sirius turned around, and gulped as he looked at him, sweat trickling down his already pale face. James, who had been walking in front of them, merely looked over his shoulder just to make sure Sirius didn't do anything rash that could get them suspended. A suspension would not look good to any of their parents, that's why James was so dead on making sure Sirius didn't do anything they'd regret later on.

"Well?" grumbled Sirius, his dark eyes gleaming at him, "Get lost!"

Peeves obliged willingly and disappeared behind an old rickety armor along the right side of the wall. Even though Peeves was long gone, they all caught themselves staring at the armor for a good five minutes; they didn't even understand why. Perhaps the armor just appealed to them, or maybe they were waiting for Peeves to jump out and surprise them again—either way there was just something strange about it that they couldn't get off their minds. Peter had enough guts to tap on it a few times before the helmet toppled over causing a rather loud clang as it fell upon the cold stone floor. Sirius, who had been a bit edgy all evening winced at the loud disturbance in the air then shot a harsh glare at Peter who cowered at the sight of him.

"Give him a break, mate, all right there, Peter?" Asked James, rumpling his hair, "Sirius has been snapping at yeh lately, 'asn't he?"

Sirius straightened himself and bit his lower lip, "It's not like I meant it, mate."

Peter smiled slightly then shook his head, "No, it's okay. He's been in an awful mood lately so—"

Sirius glanced at Peter, a look at disbelief on his face, "Me? An awful mood? What you on about?"

James shrugged his shoulders; he knew very well that Sirius was a bit edgy because of Remus. He could understand his situation because he felt the same way, and Sirius wasn't the kind of person to admit his feelings openly like that. James had felt the same concern when Sirius had gone to see Bellatrix without telling them anything, and it was _that_ kind of feeling he didn't wish to feel again.

Before the three of them continued their journey to the Astronomy Tower, James quickly whipped out his wand to fix the armor back to its normal state. Filch and Mrs. Norris would literally track down the culprits who desecrated the poor suit of armor as if their lives depended on it. After encountering that bit of nonsense, James pocketed his wand and they continued their trek. Their destination wasn't too far away. They all knew, from the number of times that they've been there, that it was located almost directly over the entrance to the castle. _Should take us 'bout another good fifteen minutes or so,_ thought James, trying to keep his mind off the friend he had left behind.

Soon enough, the corridors opened up and led them onto an open-aired rickety, damp bridge. The night air was rather chilly, causing them to shiver immensely from the sudden change of temperature. The wind seeped through the little holes of their cloaks and breathed on their skin. They could feel the hairs on their arms stick up from the amount of cold that pushed against them. James had often come here to catch a glimpse of Cinder, his owl, flying over the Black Lake. The view was impeccably magnificent compared to the one in their dormitory. The bridge, although rickety, was probably among one of the best places for people to look out at the Black Lake. _That's where I saw them—Merpeople, _James thought as he looked over the edge, _I'd like to meet one, one of these days._

"Hey! Hey, James!"

The messy-haired boy jumped at the mention of his name and turned to face Sirius and Peter who were already waiting at the other end of the bridge. After taking another brief look at the lake, he sped off to join up with his two friends. Upon reaching them he pulled out his wand and frowned as he noted the amount of frost that had grown on the tip of it.

"What were you looking at?" asked Peter, as James came toward them.

"The Black Lake." He replied looking at them with a smile.

"Why?"

"Oh, no reason."

Sirius grinned, "Fantasizing about merpeople in the lake, again?"

James couldn't help but laugh, and he patted Peter on the head gently then rumpled the back of his hair.

"Did you have a look at the moon?" implied Peter, "It looks ghastly tonight, almost like them creepy harvest moons me mum always talked about! Werewolves especially hate those kind of moons, did you know that—"

"That's all well and good, mate," interrupted Sirius, walking on ahead, "But save it for later, a'rite? I want to have a look at that meteor shower Raven was on about."

Peter nodded and followed behind Sirius, and James behind them. James was a bit puzzled at what Peter had just said moments ago for he hadn't seen the moon when he looked out at the lake. _It was probably on the other side,_ his mind told him, _I should be able to see it when we get to the tower._ It was not only the little tidbit about the moon that caught his interest, but there was something about werewolves that interested him more. He didn't understand why either; the thought just came to him as though urging him to find out something more. There was just too much foreboding going on from within James that made him feel rather uneasy so it was to no surprise that he cast all the nonsense out of his head and tried to forget about it.

By the time they had finally reached the foot of the tower, Sirius held a good bet that the falling debris of rocks in the sky were probably falling at it's best around this time. It must've been a beautiful sight when it first came into view. James knew, as well as any of his friends, that the tower was open aired just like the bridge, only a few hundred meters taller than it. The high altitude could only mean that the cold would in fact be chillier than from the bridge. For a second, James couldn't decide if he wanted to go up to see the shower and be cold, or to go back down and not see the shower, but be warm. Sirius immediately answered his question when he dragged him up the stairwell.

"Sirius, you don't have to tug so hard!" he screeched as they went up one step at a time.

"If I didn't do so, you'd have been standing their, thinking, for the rest of your life!"

Just as they reached the door to lead to the very top part of the tower, they were utterly startled when they heard a loud _Oohhh_ from what seemed to be some rather impressed Gryffindor students. James grinned; the three of them felt rather excited, it appeared as though Sinistra's surprise was a smashing success. With deep breaths, the three mischievous makers entered the room with great hope that Professor Sinistra wouldn't make a scene and give them some sort of manual labor to attend to. Fortunately for them, no one even took notice that they had entered the room; everyone, including Professor Sinistra, was caught staring up at the sky with open mouths and dazzled eyes.

As soon as James looked up he felt entranced just like everyone else: it was probably the rarest thing he had ever seen before. Muggles would _die_ to see such a beautiful sight; meteors zooming passed in groups of no more than two at a time illuminating the night sky in rays of vagrant colors you would only see in an aurora. There were dozens of them, and when you thought it was over, there was a second batch ready zoom passed you in a blink of an eye; the number of falling debris that night was almost uncountable, almost never ending. The tails of each piece of debris that zoomed by appeared to suspend in midair as though time had stopped. Although the meteors illuminated the sky with radiant light, they weren't the only ones lighting the sky that night. The moon, just as Peter had told them, was even larger and eerie looking than they could have ever imagined.

James couldn't help but be more fascinated by the moon rather than the seldom seen meteor shower. It's face was completely circular, an exact 2D circle in the sky that filled almost a third of the night sky. James felt a smile cross his face as he looked at Peter, the messy-haired boy didn't need anyone to tell him what phase the moon was in now, there was no doubt about it, 100 full. No doubt the best full moon sighting in centuries. Two spectacular sightings in one night, how lucky could a guy get? Even so, it made him wonder whether or not this was all coincidence or just a little trick the Sinistra had whipped up just for the occasion.

"Sirius, do yeh find sumthing odd about the moon?" questioned James, hoping Sirius had been think the same thing he had, "I mean, don't yeh find it strange that the moon turned up like that during this time of year?"

The handsome young Black crossed his arms and thought for a minute before answering. It was quite obvious to James that Sirius had done nothing but stare up at the sight, which was very unlike him. Peter watched them James and Sirius with a large smile on his face, not knowing what in all the Wizarding World was going on.

"You do have a point there." He answered, finally, glancing at Sinistra, "You don't think _she's_ got anything to do with this, eh? Or maybe it's just naturally done, coincidence, maybe. James, you're thinking too hard, yeh've got my brain hurting now!"

They frowned at each other. Then something caught their attention from the corner of their eyes; turning, they saw Raven leaning against the railing eyeing them as though reading their every thought. _Girls these days,_ James thought, shrugging, _I hate that look in their eyes, it's like they're looking into your very soul._ Raven, pushing herself away from the railing, quickly walked over to them. Her face looked smug and relaxed, a bit too comfortable for her own good.

"The work of a wizard, that is," Raven murmured, silently walking over to them, "Sinistra's quite pleased with herself 'bout this. Ministry's been furious though! Witches meddling with the natural forces of nature, I'd say she'd be fired if it weren't for the Headmaster. From the looks of things, you three didn't give word to Lily either…"

"Oh sorry, I couldn't find her." Replied James, looking down in embarrassment.

Sirius ran his left hand though his soft hair then scoffed, "So this is Sinistra's doing, eh? Well, anyway, you know how them Ministry peoples are. Too over protective fer their own good, I'd say. It's not like the end of the world is coming—"

_CRASH!_

The lot of them jumped, startled by the racket that had just ruined a beautiful moment. Several Gryffindors jumped up from were they sat and glanced around frantically looking for the source of the disruption. Peter did some what of the same thing, but in stead of doing so calmly, began running around squeaking, "It's the end of the world!" like some lunatic that had just been released from the clutches of Azkaban.

Both Raven and James glared at Sirius harshly and stammered, simultaneously, "You just _had_ to jinx it, didn't you?"

Sirius sighed hopelessly. It sounded just like one of those random books off Madam Pince's library shelf that didn't have a plot what so ever; the moment you think something doesn't happen, it happens. A very unrealistic plot, if you didn't live in a world full of a magic and mischief where almost anything can happen. Raven trotted away from them in hope that Professor Sinistra would know what that sound was.

"All right, Peter?" asked James, glancing over at Peter who had finally stopped running around.

Peter looked over at James then flung himself around him, screaming, "James!" over and over again. Peter appeared completely attached to his cloak that even Sirius had trouble yanking him off. When they finally got Peter back to his normal senses, the three of them walked over to the ledge of the tower to look out at the view. James and Sirius were more interested in finding the source of the crash from earlier, unlike Peter who was awed by breathtaking view.

"What did you make of that sound from earlier?" implied Sirius, thoughtfully.

"It sounded like glass, it did." Responded James as he leaned against the ledge, "You don't suppose someone broke in; it could be one of the ghosts…"

Peter quivered at the thought of ghosts running mayhem downstairs, but remained silent in order to allow James and Sirius to talk without raising their voices. Just as the two of them were about to go in depth of where the crashing came from they were rudely interrupted by the footsteps of someone walking toward them.

"Bad luck…" Sirius muttered under his breath as he turned to look at Professor Sinistra.

Sinistra put her hands on her hips and stared down at them with a stern look on her face. What could the three have possibly done to upset her this time? Peter hid behind James while looking at her with a deep frown across his face.

"Where have you three been?" Sinistra asked.

"We ran into some trouble on the way up," replied Sirius, honestly.

"And we had to look for Evans and Remus because Raven requested we do so." Implored James, trying to make her to warm up to them, "I couldn't didn't find Evans though, and Remus said he wasn't feeling too well so he stayed up in the dormitory…if that okay with you, Professor."

She stared at them for a second before opening her mouth to reply.

"Lupin?" her voice in a questioned tone, "Shouldn't he be in the infirmary?"

The three of them looked between each other. The in the world was Sinistra talking about?! Remus in the infirmary? What for? Sure, the boy's been there a fair few times all year, but why'd he need to be their now? It was also true that Remus was acting rather strange when they left, but they hadn't suspected much of it.

"He was up in the dormitory." repeated Sirius, brushing some hair out of his eyes, "Why, is he supposed to be in the infirmary?"

Professor Sinistra's eyes grew wide as she heard what Sirius had to say. There was something definitely wrong going on in their Professor's head. James had not seen such horror on someone's face since his mother found a dead doxy in the pie she had baked a few years back. James was beginning to wonder what, in Merlin's name, the fuss was all about because of Remus. Peter and Sirius were just as confused; what was she so scared of, and exactly why does she think Remus should be in the infirmary?

"Is he sick?" Peter asked, his face shifting from scared to worried

Professor Sinistra looked at them, not knowing what to reply. Her face had grown rather pale, and she bit her lower lip out of worry. She just kept opening and closing her mouth, but nothing actually came out. Then after a few second she finally said, in a very weak voice, "Yes, he's very ill."

_Ill…?_ The word ran through their heads. They looked between each other then back at Sinistra, it felt like a very awkward moment. No one dared to speak, for the look in Sinistra's eyes was if she were in great pain. James knew the very instant she said that, that his professors was not supposed to tell him of Remus' condition. James had known there was something wrong with Remus from the first time they met him; the pale face, pain in his eyes, and from the times when he'd go short breathed and need medical care said it all. Although they now knew for sure that Remus had some sort of condition, the lot of them could not figure out what kind of illness he could have contracted and kept secret for the past couple months.

Sinistra, not knowing what else to tell them, turned away from the boys to face the other Gryffindors who appeared to have their complete and undivided attention on her. It was no surprise that they did, for most of them were awfully scared and wanted to know where that horrible ruckus came from. By now, the meteor shower was long gone, and there was nothing but the eerie moon that could have caught any of their attentions. Professor Sinistra straightened herself up the looked at each of them with as calm of a face as she could.

"I—I must speak with the headmaster." She announced, as she quickly walked over to the door, "Prefects! Gryffindor Prefects! Where are you? I'll need you to be in charge, be sure not to let any of them out of your sight, is that clear?" She eyed the James, Peter, and Sirius, carefully, "Especially those who have the words 'MISCHIEF' written all over the their _innocent_ faces."

It was most obvious to Peter that Sinistra was talking about them, for he dug his face deep into James' back to hide his humiliation. James and Sirius, on the other hand, did not intend to cower to a teacher.

The two prefects nodded and stood from where they sat to get a better look at number of students in the vicinity. After seeing this, Professor Sinistra quickly sped out of the room and down the spiral staircase of the tower. She sped down so fast that one would have thought she would, without a doubt, trip on her way down. This left the two prefects in charge now and, from what James could see, the two prefects looked quite suited for the job of watchdog. The both of them had this look of authority about them that the three boys did not want to get on the wrong side of. Even so, this didn't change the fact that James, Sirius, and Peter were left hanging. Sinistra had made them wonder even more, and now they were more than positive that they had to figure everything out as soon as possible. Considering their titles as Mischief-Makers, the lot of them couldn't sit still; they just had to find out the secret as if their lives depended on it.

"We have to check on Remus…!" Sirius whispered with great urgency in his voice, "I don't want to stand 'ere doing nothing while 'em professors are all worried-like."

James nodded, "I know what you mean, mate. But you don't expect us to waltz on out of here undetected!"

Sirius shrugged. It was their only major problem, exactly how were they supposed to get out of the tower? A prefect's eye is as watchful as Professor McGonagall in her animagus-cat stage; her eyes never seem to blink. Just thinking about McGonagall made the three of them shudder in horror, with that kind of attention span how could they possibly find a way…?

"Um… W-what about your invisibility cloak, James?" murmured Peter, nervously chewing on his pinky. The poor boy's nose appeared as red as an apple, and he sneezed upon saying this.

James and Sirius looked at each other then stared down at Peter. It was an absolutely brilliant idea, considering the source, and it was the only logical thing that would work at a time like this.

Sirius grinned haughtily then put an arm around Peter's neck in a friendly manner, "That's more like it! That's using yer brain, mate, trying using it more often though—" He was cut off when James' face faulted, "—What's the matter?"

James rumpled the back of his head nervously; "I—uh—didn't bring it with me."

Sirius stared at him, speechless.

"Y-you didn't bring it?" Sirius repeated, just trying to make sure.

James shook his head. The grin across the handsome lad's face faded, and Peter covered his eyes, trying to guess what was coming next.

"How could you not bring it!" he exclaimed.

James frowned, "Look, I thought we were just going to look at the meteor shower then come back. I didn't know—!"

"You should have known!"

"How was I?!"

"I don't know, I thought _you_ were the leader of our group!"

"You're the one who made me leader—!"

"Stop it!" squeaked Peter, jumping between the two of them. His face was even more frightened the Professor Sinistra's now, and his eyes were filled with fresh tears, "I want to see Remus now…!"

The quarrel ended there; Peter was right, fighting wasn't going to get them anywhere fast. Sirius and James nodded to each other, and mutely began trying to think of ways to distract the prefects while they were to make their get away. As they thought a chilly breeze passed through causing many of the students to shiver; it was just that kind of breeze that freed James' mind filling it with loads of ideas.

"…Hey, Sirius." James murmured, a thought popping into his head.

Sirius looked up at him and stammered, "What now?"

"Remember what Professor Dumbledore said when we were in the Great Hall?"

Peter looked at James thoughtfully, "You mean when he said that we were mad?"

"_I_ was the one who said that _he_ was mad, Peter!" Sirius snapped. "So what about what he said…?"

James looked at them, a glitter of hope in his chestnut eyes, "_'You may find yourself using the surprise to your advantage'_ was what he said, remember? You don't think he was referring to the meteor shower helping us get out of here…?"

Sirius and Peter looked at James in wonder. The two hadn't caught Dumbledore saying that in the hall, but it sounded rather promising. James had a good hunch, now, what Professor Dumbledore was telling them to do.

"You don't think he's psychic do you?" Peter wondered aloud.

James laughed as he looked up at the sky, "He might be a seer, but you never know. Might wanna ask him one of 'ese days, ey Peter?"

Sirius rubbed his hands together to keep them warm; it was indeed very cold that night. Professor Sinistra was probably unaware of it because of her long velvet cape that she wore over her cloak and professor's uniform.

"So 'xactly how are we supposed to 'use it to our advantage', mate?" asked Sirius, crossing his arms, "I don't suppose any of you know any charms or spells that can do much to affect our atmosphere…"

"That's it!" James exclaimed.

"What's it…?" Peter wondered, looking at him in worry.

"An illusionary charm." He explained with a wink, "I read about them a few months ago. Don't worry, the charm's easy enough to conjure up!"

Sirius exchanged worried glances with Peter. Although James' voice was filled with great confidence, one couldn't help but feel a little bit worrisome about what James was about to do. The messy-haired boy quickly whipped out his wand, flicked a few times, and then whispered some words neither Sirius nor Peter had ever heard of from within the context of a book. Exactly what kind of book did James look this charm up in…?

_Somniuous_ was the final word that came out of James' mouth; the moment he said it there was a wispy smoke that seemed to slowly move upward catching the attention of all of the students in the area. Sirius and Peter found themselves in the same awed state the rest of the class was in, all except James who smiled proudly. The illusionary charm that James had performed had several abilities, and James, fortunately, read each one carefully to be sure that it wasn't toxic in any way. The charm itself brought everyone, except the user, into a state where they were in a world of their own little worlds, away from everything that troubled them at that moment. In this case, James added a bit of his touch to the spell and made it so that all of the students, including the prefects, would see the exact same thing. James used the surprise, all right, simply by making all the students see the meteor shower that had just ended moments before.

"Okay," he mumbled to himself as he quickly pocketed his wand, "Now to wake Sirius and Peter."

James, being as careful as he possible could, tapped the both of them on the shoulder in order not to startle them.

"Hey, mates…" he said in a low voice to them, "Time to stop spacing out."

Sirius turned to James with a disgusted look on his face, "What you on 'bout? Seriously, James, can't you see the beautiful meteor shower?"

"That's not a meteor shower, remember? I cast that illusionary charm?"

Sirius frowned, and then looked up at the sky again; this time there was nothing but a blank night sky with twinkling stars and a round full moon. Just when he was about to ask questions, the illusion before him snapped and he remembered James' little trick. Peter, on the other hand, continued to stare up at the shower, completely transfixed.

Shaking his head and slapping himself a few times, Sirius scathed, "That's a powerful charm, James, don't _ever_ use that on me again. Looking back on it now, it make me look stupid."

"Are yeh sure you're not already?" James laughed.

Sirius frowned then walked over to the spiral staircase.

"H-hey! What about Peter?" James exclaimed looking back at him, "We can't just leave him like that! He'd be really sad if he found out—"

Sirius shrugged, "Right, sorry, I just got a bit excited."

The two of them quietly arouse Peter from the illusionary dream and snuck as quickly as they could down the spiral staircase. Before long, the three of them had already run across the rickety bridge, passed the old armor, and down the corridors to their common room. They ran in order to avoid Filch, Mrs. Norris, and Peeves, while trying to make good time with Professor Sinistra who must have been in Dumbledore's office by now. James was sure of it now, what ever Sinistra had on her mind that was bugging her had something to do with Remus. The lot knew that if they wanted to find out what was going on, they have to ask little Lupin himself.

Just as they turned the final corner, the three of them could now see the door to their common room awaiting them. The common room was not far now, and they all held their breaths as they began to run closer and closer to what appeared to be the Fat Lady's painting. The idea was to immediately give the Fat Lady the password, run into the common room, up the stairs, and into their dorm room to check with Remus, but unfortunately, that wasn't the cast. Just when they reached the door, to where the Fat Lady was, they all came to a sudden halt; the door of the common room had been left open, and the Fat Lady was nowhere in sight.

James patted Peter on the head in assurance then walked in. Peter then waddled in behind him, and Sirius came in last, closing the door behind him.

"…I have a bad feeling about this," squeaked Peter as they took a few steps into the common room.

Both James and Sirius felt the same way, for some reason, the warm fire of the fireplace was no longer pleasant, and the once comforting common room seemed barren and cold. Sure, the fire was still burning, but this feeling was just something they just couldn't shake off. It was almost as if the dementors of Azkaban had laid siege to their once welcoming common room.

"We should check on Remus," urged Sirius, immediately, "I'm beginning to worry…"

Peter nodded at Sirius' comment. James walked over to their dormitory tower then looked back at their common room examining the place a bit, nothing was missing from the place, nor did it seem like anything had been destroyed from within it. This was all well and good, but they couldn't shake off the feeling that something had, indeed, taken place in that common room. Another eerie thing was the fact the door had left wide open. Who ever the last person was, who came in or out of the dormitory, left in such a rush that they'd be stupid enough to forget to close the door. Other than that, though, the common room appeared just as they had left it not more than thirty minutes before.

"Quit staring into space like a 'unatic and come on!" croaked Sirius, tugging on James' cloak, "You go up firs'!"

"Bit scared are yeh?" James said grinning, "I'm sure, Remus doesn't _bite_."

Sirius pouted for a second then immediately pushed Peter up the stairs, "Well then, let Petie up first!"

Peter stumbled as Sirius pushed him onto the first steps of their dormitory tower, he appeared to be quivering madly, "A-are you sure you don't wanna be in front, James?"

"I can see you better when you're in front." He replied, a warm smile appearing across his face.

The lot of them walked up the stairs in a rather odd single file line; James, who stood in the middle, couldn't help but feel like a very small herd of cattle walking through a narrow walk way. The walls seemed to close on them as they continued upward. Even though they had been up these stairs many times, it felt different as though there were some clue that would answer their question up these steps. Upon reaching the level of their dormitory, their minds became heavy with doubt.

Peter refused to open the door to their room since his hands seemed to quiver too much. So James, being the closest to the door, knocked on the door first then turned the knob of the door. Strangely enough, it was unlocked, and he pushed the door open.

"Remus…?" James murmured, "You here?"

Peter quickly reached for the lights and turned them on with a small flick of his wand. Peter had come to learn how to do this because of his fear of dark places. They all walked in and looked around wordlessly. Everything looked just as they had left just that there was no Remus in sight.

"Where'd he go off to?" grumbled Sirius, taking the chance to flop onto his bed, "Maybe he did run over to the infirmary just as Sinistra said. Whew! All this running around's got me as tired as fish."

"Fish get tired?" wondered Peter, walking over to his bed.

Sirius frowned, "Course they do! Er… Right James?"

James was not listening; even though Sirius and Peter now felt a sense of security, James just couldn't. Remus had gone to the infirmary? Their friend had just vanished without a trace? None of it seemed to fit no matter how they twisted the story. He shrugged his shoulders then walked over to his bed, by chance, something caught his eye. A glitter of red had left a small trail upon a part of the glass window.

"What you looking at, mate?"

James knelt down to take a better look at what he had just noticed. Pushing his round glasses up the bridge of his nose he traced the area of red with his finger. Although it felt hard at one part of the glass, the further up he moved the less of a solid it felt, then his finger touched a rather gooey, wet part of the red blotch at the tip of it. _It's liquid…?_ He thought with a start, he scrapped the substance with his finger and looked at it, _this isn't just liquid…this is…_

"Blood!" James gasped, backing away from the window. "_Bloody_-birdsome-menace! There's blood on the window!"

"_What_?!" Sirius shouted, jumping off his bed to join James, "Ye've gone made, haven't you?"

"B-blood?" Peter squeaked clutching his most favored pillow.

"Jus' take a look at the window!"

Sirius bent down and did the same thing James had done by tracing it with his finger. He then looked at James worriedly, and they could read it in each other's minds. It _was_ blood, but not just anyone's blood; it was Remus'. Sirius stood up in order to take a look at the window as a whole.

"Hey, mates, look what we 'ave 'ere…" Sirius pointed out tracing in the air what appeared to be crack marks in the glass. "Looks like this glass was broken. You dun think—?"

James stared in horror at it, "—This was the crashing sound we heard? Probably, someone must have tried to fix it… actually, looking at our room now. Someone tried fixing our entire room."

Sirius jerked as the mention of it, and he looked around. Although the room looked perfectly normal, there were a few things that couldn't be erased like the placement of their belongings. Either Remus had some sort of fit then fixed it… or there was a struggle that took place and the culprit that took Remus fixed up the room so they wouldn't suspect anything.

"The glass looks like it's about to break again." Sirius said, calmly, "Hey, Peter, can you fix it up? I don't feel like doing it me self."

Peter nodded, while clutching his pillow, and exclaimed, "_R-Reparo!_"

A shot of light zoomed out of his wand and cleaned all the cracks in the surface of the glass. James looked at Peter, quite impressed, and since when did Sirius depend of Peter to do something for him?

"I've been teaching him a bit o' things," Sirius said with a grin, then walked over to the door, "What do we do now? Should we head back to the Astronomy Tower?"

James hung his head before answering, "I guess… Not much we _can_ do right now. I want to go look for Remus, but I don't even know where to begin! Hogwarts is just too big a place."

The three of them agreed on that point. They were in grave danger of getting detention as it stood anyways. It would be for the best that they headed back to the Tower and reverse the illusionary charm James had so proudly cast on them. They all huddled out the door in great dismay; their hopes of asking Remus about his condition seemed to flutter away from them. They were beginning to wonder if they'd ever be able to ask him about it.

Just as they got midway down the steps of the tower, the three of them heard voices coming from below; coming from the common room just below them. A particularly rapidly speaking voice, a calm voice, and rather stern voice seemed to be chattering amongst each other, no doubt signifying evidence three people.

Upon hearing this, the three of them slowed to a walk and stopped when they heard their voices clearly. There was without a doubt that the people in their common room were professors, not students, and they were talking about something rather urgent.

"I can't believe you told them the boy was _ill_!" screeched the first voice, no doubt the voice of Professor McGonagall, "Of all things, you've given them suspicions now!"

"He _is_ ill, isn't he?" stammered the next voice, one that was no doubt Professor Sinistra's, "Potter, Black, and Pettigrew _are_ his friends, don't they have a right to know, even a little bit?"

It was like the silence before the storm; Professor McGonagall's voice seemed to boom through the common room, "Are you _mad_, Sinistra?! Have you no thought for Lupin at all? What do you think he'll say when he finds out that you told them even remotely that—!"

"Minerva, calm down, please," said the calm voice; Albus Dumbledore's, "I think she did what she thought was in their best interest…"

"Not you too Albus!" exclaimed McGonagall, "If you support Sinistra, then fine. But I do not want to find out you've told them more than they need to know. If then knew that Remus was a werewol—!"

"Minerva!" Sinistra shouted, "Walls have ears!"

There was no doubt in James' mind that Professor McGonagall was out raged for they heard her stomp away, grunting angrily toward the Fat Lady's painting. "Minerva, wait… I didn't mean to shout," was the last thing they heard Sinistra say before the door of the Fat Lady slammed shut behind them. It was a rather horrific moment for the three of them; was Remus really what they overheard he was…? The thought of it made them all worry even more about him than before. Peter was apparently shaken the most.

The three of them didn't move from their spots, not only because they were shocked by information they had found out, but also because they were sure Professor Dumbledore was still in the common room below them.

After what seemed like forever, Dumbldore's calm voice arouse once more, "Sirius, Peter, and James; you can come down now."

The three boys gulped as they heard the mention of their names. It was no use hiding now, James knew for certain that Dumbledore knew the whole time that they were up there eavesdropping. He didn't know how Dumbledore knew, but he just knew that he did. The three of them walked down the steps, James in the lead, and Peter trailing behind them; the lot of them looked about a glum as the herd of sheep James had thought about walking up there. Upon reaching the common room, they immediately noticed Professor Dumbledore standing at the center of the room; his face smiling warmly at them.

"W-we didn't mean to eavesdrop." James muttered, immediately as they walked toward him, "You can suspend us all you like, but is Remus really…?"

The old man blinked behind his half-moon glass and shook his head, "Suspend? I was just going to say that you three should hurry back to your classroom before the surprise is spoiled." He turned to the door to leave them, "And it's _your_ choice to believe what you heard or not."

With that said Dumbledore glided over to the Fat Lady's painting, pushed it open, and walked out. The door shut instantly after he disappeared, leaving the three boys in dread about what was to happen next.

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**_Next Chapter: The Whomping Massacre_**

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	21. Chapter 21: The Whomping Massacre

**brennqt14**- Oh... I didn't realize that people in Canada talked like that. I'll do it a bit less then. Thanks for reading me ficcy, I feel honored that you're actually enjoying it

**misterious-eyes**- Erm... me and my persuasive ways, eh?

**Insanity-of-the-owl**- Thanks for reading, I'm glad you really think so .

**michmud** - You don't have to wait any longer, it seems. Cause the next chapter is right here! Unfortunately I can't answer the question if they actually talk to Remus, but you know... that might be answered by the end of this chapter or the end of the next. Who knows? I don't even know myself, really.

**Author's Notes:** Hey everyone! Surprised to see that I updated already? I'm hoping I'll be able to do the rest of the story like this. It appears that I can only write when I listen to Stacie Orrico! Strange, no? Heh. Well if you've gotten this far in this little story I give props to you for being there most of the way. The stories going to end pretty soon, I think. A few more chapters... Their first year's almost over, so I hope you enjoy it while it lasts ! For those who reallyliked meto add more Lily, this chapter is for you . There's a little LilyxJames in this part of the story, and it alsogets kinda dramatic for thethree Mischievous kids and Remus. I'd also like to mention thatI took into consideration the Prisoner of Azakaban "movie" during some scenes in this chapter, so if you don't remember a certain part coming from the book, it's from the movie...heh. Shame on me.

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**CHAPTER 21: ****THE WHOMPING MASSACRE**

Professor Dumbledore's departure from their presence caused the three boys, James, Sirius, and Peter, to grow in a particularly weary silence. It were as if they had all stumbled into a nightmare world where there was no one to help them or free them from its dark clutches. Peter appeared more petrified than anyone else for if what was uttered amongst their Professors was true, the lot of them had been sleeping in the same room as the werewolf James and Sirius had been so interested in the beginning of the year. The very same one that gave Peter chills when he slept, the one that haunted his mind. It was hard enough knowing that Remus had been ill for the past year, but finding out his darkest secret was one they could have lived without.

"So James," muttered Sirius, rubbing his head feverishly, "what do you want to do about this now? It would be suicide to go after him tonight. It's a full moon—"

"I won't believe it!"

Sirius and Peter looked at James solemnly. The messy-haired boy had both is his fists clutched and he gritted his teeth as he spoke. Sirius had never seen such anger in his best friend's eyes, though, it was not hatred that seemed to emit from his face, but rather it was a passionate enragement that glowed from the depths of his heart.

"I won't believe it! Not—not until I see for myself. Or, better yet, if Remus tells me himself." He stated, not a hint of worry in his angered eyes.

Sirius sighed, "Alright, alright. I agree with you on that one, but what troubles me is the fact that Dumbledore's been a wee bit too lenient on us. We heard it for ourselves what McGonagall said, so, why exactly would Dumbledore let us decide whether to believe her or not? I swore he was going to zap our memories, or sumthing!"

"Would Professor Dumbledore really do something like that…?" questioned Peter, his eyes growing wide with even more fear.

James shot fierce glances at both Sirius and Peter, "Of course not! Now's not the time to figure this out, we've got seven years on our hands here… Dumbledore's in charge and Remus is our friend. That's all I need to know. To top it off, another full moon's just another month away; I think I can wait till then."

Peter gulped, "B-but what if he _is_ a werewolf—?"

"We'll just have to deal with it when the time comes!" Sirius growled, "So what if he _is_, Peter, you're not just going to abandon him are you…?"

Peter shook his head in fright but forced himself to speak once more, "B-but Sirius… w-would you?"

For a moment, Sirius seemed lost without words. His mouth was wide open and he stared at them with a look dread in his face that James had not seen before. His face had paled and mouth dry, he didn't want to answer that question. The handsome lad knew that the right answer, the one that James would want to hear, would be to say that he'd stick beside Remus through thick and thin, but the truth still remained. Although Sirius was among the strongest people James had ever known, the lad wasn't fearless. The truth was that, deep within him, he was scared; he was frightened beyond compare.

"Well I—"

"It's okay, Sirius…" James murmured, looking down, "You don't have to answer that question."

Peter's face grew even more worrisome than before. It was obvious to them that Peter felt guilty for pressing the question on them. James had also thought about it. The three of them would have to act like they normally did until the next full moon, especially around Remus. They'd have to talk calmly, laugh, and not look suspicious at all. It wasn't as simple as it sounded, and James knew that. Would they be able to pull it off without Remus suspecting anything…? I might have appeared easy to begin with, but after some thought, it didn't seem as breezy as they had imagined.

James turned away from his friends and stared at the common room fireplace, burning brightly. Flickers of yellow, red, and orange flames jumbled within it, reminding him of the number of thoughts jumbled up in his mind. It used to be, during situations like this, that James'd be on top of things and figure things through immediately…but…it was different this time. He didn't know how to feel about the whole situation; if Remus were a werewolf, would he be able to look at him the same way? They had been deceived all year by someone they had all thought was their best friend, if the rumors were true…could they possible trust him? Trust a werewolf…?

"We should… talk about this later." James began, pausing before speaking again, "I just need time to think about this plus there's Sinistra heading up to the Astronomy Tower. Sitting here doing nothing won't get us very far…"

Both Peter and Sirius nodded at this then turned to walk toward the Fat Lady's painting. Even though James suggested this he refused to move. His eyes did not leave the fire and the flames reflected in his glasses, as though his eyes were burning with passion. It was just as Sirius and Peter reached the door that the realized their usual cocky messy-haired boy had not accompanied them to the door.

Sirius was quick to notice this, "Coming?" he questioned, looking over his shoulder.

"You guys go on ahead," James murmured, still gazing into the fire, "I—I want to see if Evans is still up in her dorm; Raven's furious with me as it stands for not bringing her up with us."

Peter and Sirius exchanged glances, "That's all well and good, mate. But we're not allowed up in the girl's dormitory, remember?" Sirius implied, crossing his arms.

James jerked a little at the remark then looked back at his handsome friend, "When'd you hear that?" he muttered, looking at him suspiciously. "Raven an' Griddle's come up to _our_ dorm loads of times! Since when can't we go up to theirs—?"

James stared at his friend curiously before finishing his sentence. Peter blinked then turned to his companion standing just beside him. He immediately tapped Sirius on his shoulder to make sure Sirius was all right.

"Um… Sirius, are you okay?" he asked.

For some odd reason, the handsome chap felt his face flush red from embarrassment, and then immediately turned away from them. James furrowed his brow then looked even more so curious at him; it wasn't like Sirius to not tell anything to him. It was just way too obvious to anyone that the boy was hiding something… and it was something Sirius had to be stupid to tell anyone about.

"You're not telling us something." James scoffed, stating the obvious, a grin sliding across his gaunt face, "Wait… I get it! You've already tried it, haven't you? Going up to the girl's dormitories, eh, mate? Trying to sneak a peek I'll bet—!"

"Shut it, James!" Sirius shouted, his face as red as red as flames in the fire place, "It's none of your concern! I'd hex you about now if it weren't for the circumstances! Peter, let's go, it'd be best if yeh'd stay with me. I don't want any of James' bad influence to rub off on you!"

The James couldn't help but laugh. Finally, James had been waiting for a good moment to embarrass Sirius. It turned out to be the last thing he'd ever dream his handsome friend to do. _Who ever thought the Black pretty boy was a little p-e-r-v? _James smirked. Although he thought this, James couldn't help but be very proud of Sirius. Not even James had attempted to go up their before; who was there to sneak a peek on anyway? The messy-haired boy suddenly shuddered at the thought of it, _that—that's scary to think about._

Sirius being as flustered as he was, dragged Peter out of the room using full force; nearly choking the poor dear. And from what James could see, Peter was even more confused than ever with the sudden change in topic. In less than an instant James saw his two friends disappear behind the door of the painting leave him alone in the common room. He sighed as he turned back to look at the fireplace still richly burning in its place. Would that fire _ever_ burn out? He shrugged. Although they had a brief moment of, what James would consider, 'fun' things began pouring right back down on him. He had several problems were very stressing about and no matter of 'fun' could ever take that away from him.

Without much else to do, James trotted over to the entrance of the girl's dormitory. He took a good look around the base of their tower; it looked pretty normal, almost exactly like the boy's dormitory, except for the odd fragrance of perfumes. _What a putrid smell,_ he scathed covering his nose. After hearing what Sirius had said about guys not being able to go up, he wondered what possibly could happen if he were to take even a single step upon the tower staircase. _Trap door?_ He thought, _or maybe it'd immediately notify Professor McGonagall…_ sighing, he thought about it a bit more, _that wouldn't do me much good, would it?_

For a time, James found himself staring blankly at the first step figuring whether to try up or head back and join Sirius and Peter. This wouldn't have happened if he'd just gotten Evans to begin with, and what _exactly_ was the girl doing up in her dormitory all alone anyway…? He shrugged then cautiously tapped his foot upon its face a few times.

"Hmm… feels solid enough." He murmured to himself as he hoped onto it. "I guess I had nothing to worry about—!"

Just when he was about to walk up the second step, it disappeared; making him miss his own footing. Fortunately before falling forward, and banging his head on the concrete, James was able to grab hold of rocky edges on the stonewall surrounding the spiraled staircase. Although he was able to stop himself from falling forward, James couldn't shake the feeling that he was actually falling _backward_ this time. _W-What's going on!?_ His mind screamed as he scrambled to grip the wall to keep him from falling again, but no use. With a loud _oof!_ he ended up flat on his back upon the common room's red carpet. Lucky for him, he had a fairly soft landing.

He groaned and sat up he sat up. It wasn't that much of a fall since he only fell from the second step, but he wasn't expecting it at all. Rubbing the back of his head he looked up at the staircase. All the steps had suddenly disappeared leaving nothing but a long spiraled jumbo slide for whom ever girl was up there—Evans being the only one this time, if she was still up there. _What a dirty ol' trick,_ his mind growled before trying to stand up, and just when James thought it to be over he heard something from upstairs.

"AHH…!"

He looked up, but there was no one that he could see from down here. Whoever had screamed was probably a good way up since their voice seemed to echo on the way down.

"Evans! Evans, is that you?" he called to her.

There a brief moment of silence before the voice came again, "Who-Who's there? What did you do to the stairs!?"

James frowned; the urgency in her voice wasn't at all comforting. Lily Evans must have been angry because she was literally shouting at him. He contemplated whether to tell her his name or not… or to just leave her. She'd be able to get down wouldn't she…? The staircase was sure to come back soon enough, right?

"Uh… It's James Potter…" he called back, clearing his throat, "Evans, are yeh stuck? Sorry, I, um, didn't think the stairs would do that."

"…Potter? Wait—is the meteor shower over…? I missed a class?"

James shrugged, "I'd tell you if you could get down here. Perhaps you can…slide down?"

There was a moment of silence for what seemed like no more than two minutes. James could hear slow footsteps coming from upstairs going down; apparently Evans was trying to walk down the slide. He listened carefully up until the point that Evans finally came into view; the poor girl appeared rather frustrated with trying to keep her balance and not falling forward. Her strikingly deep red hair drooped on both sides of her face as she attempted to go down another 'step'. She looked rather tired too.

"I think you can jump. Dun worry, I'll catch you." He said, extending his arms out to her, "You look feverish. You feeling all right?"

Lily Evans steadily moved downward before even thinking of jumping; James could tell that Evans didn't want to jump into his arms. It was an awkward thing to do, after all, but James was just worried about her, he didn't want the girl to pass out and hit her head while attempting to slide down. James had been scolded many times by his parents (mother especially) that a man should treat a lady with respect, kindness, and what not. So James felt like he was just doing his share of good will.

"I—I can do it myself, thank you very much." She stated, moving down a bit more, "I'm perfectly capable of getting down myself."

James cocked his eyebrow upward; he knew from the many classes he had with her that Evans was a strong girl. He also figured that she was the type to do things most wouldn't, bravery as well as smarts was most apparently the red head's strong points.

"Is that so?" he retorted, smirking. He rumpled the back of his head as he did so.

Evans grunted, "It _is_ so!" moving down some more. By now she was probably on the seventh step from where James stood, she was almost there anyway. Even if Evans were to fall, she'd land on the carpet just as James had. Unfortunately, James was a bit too over confident with what he thought for the moment she missed the wall and began to fall forward, he wasn't ready to catch her at all.

"Get out of the way!" she screamed, seeing that the Potter-boy was still in her line of collision.

They were going to collide.

"W-wait! I wasn't ready not ready!"

It truly was a stupid thing to exclaim because you can't actually wait before falling. The laws of gravity definitely didn't allow such a thing. Of course there were spells, curses, hexes, and charms, but none that either Lily or James knew could stop universal force of Gravity. Being as cocky as the messy-haired boy had been the whole time, could only stare as she plummeted toward him. It happened in a matter of seconds. Escape was futile. _BAM!_ The two of them landed on the common room carpet. This time, James' was flat on his face, Evans on her side. They groaned as they stood up, rubbing their sore limbs.

"Thanks for—er—catching me…" Evans coughed, looking at him blandly.

"No problem. I'll do it any time." James retorted, sarcastically, a bit of annoyance in his voice.

The boy rubbed his flattened nose. This was the very last thing James would have suspected to happen that night, other than the fact that they had learned a strange deal about Remus. Maybe it would have done him much better to have gone up with Sirius and Peter, or better yet if they hadn't gone back to the common room at all. Just thinking about it made James regret almost everything he did that day.

"Why'd you stay here to get me?" asked Evans, breaking his train of thought, "Don't you have more important things to think about? Plus, Sinistra had already come to talk with me no more that fifteen minutes ago."

James stared at her. Sinistra knew she was up here when they had that urgent conversation in the common room…? Evans could have heard her—actually, Evans could have heard _them_ talking when Sirius and Peter were still in the room. His dark eyes were completely transfixed on her. The situation had just appeared to have gotten even worse.

"You—you weren't eaves dropping, were you?"

Evans looked over at the door of the Fat Lady's painting before tracing her emerald eyes back at James; a hint of anger in them.

James noticed this immediately and gulped, "Well—Ah—It's not like I'm say you really did… It's just that—well—"

The anger in her eyes seemed to soften a bit before she replied. "Sorry, Potter," she said in a soft voice, "I didn't mean to. I could hear McGonagall shouting all the way from my room. It couldn't be helped, really—ah—I also didn't mean to listen in on you and your friends either."

He looked away from her and back at the fireplace. His expression appeared lost in thought and his mind raced mercilessly; was there absolutely nothing he could do to reverse all that had happened? Evans probably got the gist of what was going on now, and she might blabber it to everyone in school! Remus'd hate them for it, whether he really was one or not, and everyone would probably want to avoid him. It would be a nightmare! He'd have to live with the guilt the rest of his life.

Without another word he trudged toward the door leaving Evans to look on after him. She understood that James had a lot on his mind, but the girl couldn't help but feel rather flustered about the way he was acting. This wasn't how _the_ James Potter, the greatest mischievous kid in their year, would act. It just didn't seem right; looking at the boy gloat like that… it just made her want to slap him _really_ hard.

"Potter!" she exclaimed, "It won't do you any good if you keep gloating like that. It's not like I'm going to tell anyone."

James spun around and narrowed his eyes, "_Gloating_? I am _not_ gloating! You wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you!" he stammered, "And how can we trust that you won't tell anyone? It's a juicy bit of gossip that a girl, like you, would be crazy to refuse."

Lily Evans appeared angrier than she ever had been. James had pushed her a wee bit too far.

"I'm not that kind of person!" she screamed, "And I _would_ understand if you explained it to me. Lupin is a nice fellow; you're worrying too much over nothing! So what if Lupin_ is_ what the teachers say he is? You're his friend right?"

James looked at her innocently. He couldn't argue with her, instead, he just nodded his head.

"Then it shouldn't matter." She finished, "You're a funny guy, Potter. You and your friends are among the most popular in the school! Do you seriously want to be seen looking like that everywhere you go?"

"Of course not!" he muttered, realizing her point, "But Remus—! How are we supposed to trust him if he's really a—a—_werewolf_? It's not as simple as you say! Remus _is_ my friend, and I always want him to be a really good friend to us, but I wouldn't be able to confront him about this."

Evans looked at him worriedly and sighed.

"Why don't you think about it from his point of view?" she said quietly, "Lupin—I mean—Remus is probably suffering even more than you, Black, and Pettigrew put together. And I do believe I overheard you a few months back… didn't you say that it would be exciting to meet one—a werewolf—I mean? Where'd your courage go, Potter?"

With that said she briskly walked passed him and toward the Fat Lady's painting, and pushed it open. Before walking out she turned to back to James, who had not moved. With nothing else to say about the matter she said with a simple smile, "You coming?"

James shrugged his shoulders and sighed, Evans really was a force to be reckoned with. Who would have thought a girl'd lecture him about something? He was sure Sirius and Peter would have a laugh or two if he even mentioned it. Even so, James couldn't help but realize that Evans was right about the whole thing. He felt a bit more confident than he had been when they first found out. He turned around and walked toward her, trying his best to suppress a smile. It was obvious to anyone that the boy was finally regaining himself.

"Course I'm coming!" he smirked, rumpling the back of his head. His gaunt expression blew away and his usual mischievous expression returned, "You ain't going to leave me 'ere all alone. Were yeh, Evans?"

Evans heaved a deep sigh and muttered, "Acting like your cocky old self, it seems… and I wasn't going to leave you here, though, now that I think of it, it would have been pleasant to have walked up there by myself."

James laughed and walked out of their common room and into the corridors. Evans quietly shut the door behind her and began walking in the direction of the Astronomy Tower. Not a hint of worry seemed to gnaw at his mind any more, but James couldn't help but feel a little in debt to Evans for cheering him up. He scratched his head before speaking.

"H-hey Evans!" he called to her.

She turned to look at him, "What?"

The messy-haired boy rumpled the back of his head nervously, "Thanks."

Almost a fortnight had passed since the incident up in the Astronomy Tower. Miraculously enough, James and Evans ran a very fine line by, literally, arriving moments before Professor Sinistra arrived. It gave James several seconds to undo his illusionary spell, which took nothing but a loud clap to accomplish. The gullible Professor Sinistra didn't suspect a single thing when she walked in, and neither did any of the other students. The only one who questioned about Evans' sudden appearance was Raven, but no one really paid any mind to it. Afterwards, Sinistra was quick to dismiss them back to their dormitory.

It, indeed, had been a fairly long time since that incident, and Remus was still nowhere to be found. This was among the few things that weighed on their minds now. James had convinced his friends how they were going to approach Remus, in his usual confidence, but from the look of things, the lot of them couldn't do much if Remus wasn't even here to talk to. They would have wanted to ask Professor Dumbledore more about Remus if they only they knew where to actually find him. His office could be anywhere! And knowing how strange of a person Dumbledore was, his office was probably in the last place they would suspect it to be. Asking Professor McGonagall about it was a big mistake for she became utterly suspicious and began keeping an annoyingly close eye on them. The three boys had no choice but to lay low for the next week or so and leave it up to Remus to come back.

"I'm as bored as the floor under our feet." Sirius muttered, bleakly, as he and James walked through the corridors toward their favorite hangout spot. "Where'd Peter go off to anyway?"

"Not sure. Said he was meeting some one."

Soon enough, the two boys were walking just outside of the castle and on the wet grass under their feet. There seemed to be a rather refreshing breeze that blew against them as they walked toward their spot. Sirius, who had fairly long black hair for a guy, had to use a quick charm to keep his hair from getting in his face.

"Bit windy, today, isn't it?" James sighed, plopping on the moist grass under their oak tree, "You don't suppose Peter's in some sort of trouble, do you?"

Sirius sighed, "He's always getting himself into a bit o' trouble, I don't doubt it. But shouldn't we be worrying about Remus rather than Peter…? I mean, I know we were planning on waiting for him to come back, but he's hasn't come back in two weeks now!"

James took the time to lie on his back before answering. The clouds above him moved slowly with the breeze; it was no doubt a beautiful day that day. James envied the clouds in the heavens above him; they didn't have a care in the world. Just drifting down a predetermined current in the sky that the wind provided for them. The messy-haired boy longed for a life without any Wizarding problems. _Muggles don't have to go through this, _he shifted his position, _they don't have a single thing to worry about yet they complain about the littlest things…Wonder what it's like to be one._

"Hey, are you listening to me, mate?"

James glanced at Sirius who was staring down at him.

Sighing he replied, "Yeah, I get your point. I'd be looking for Remus about now, if not for the fact that we don't have any leads on his whereabouts. The teachers are acting as if he's just sick and can't come to class, it's really annoying me."

"—Just sick?" Sirius repeated looking at him curiously, "I think you're on to something James."

He scratched his head and sat up. Sirius crouched on his knees in order to see James at eye level before continuing. It was a very rare moment for Sirius to get a sudden epiphany out of nowhere, and James frowned knowing that usually his ideas were a bit…much. Even so, he listened attentively to what his good friend had to say about—what ever he had to say.

"Maybe he's in the infirmary again or something." Implied Sirius,

"…Or something?" James questioned, "Come on, mate, you don't really think that, do you? I mean, Madam Pomfrey would have notified us—"

"Not if Remus was a werewolf she wouldn't." Sirius stammered, his eyes glaring into James', "Look, it's the only lead we have, an 'sides, remember when we were in the Infirmary with Remus last time? She was really panicky that time."

James rumpled his hair and stood up. The tone in Sirius' voice convinced him enough to almost believe it. He could tell that his handsome friend had actually taken the time to think this one through for he had a rather good explanation for them to at least attempt to ask Madam Pomfrey. Evans' words to him before had really given James confidence about the whole situation, and so far, the girl had been true to her word about not telling anyone what she had found out.

Just as the two of them were about to embark to the Infirmary there was a vaguely familiar cry that echoed in the air. Sirius and James looked at each other and frantically realized who it was. There was no mistaking that whimpering cry.

"Peter!" James exclaimed, racing over to where he swore his cry was coming from. Sirius ran after him, his face just as worried as James'. The two of them had a vaguely small hunch on what Peter had possibly gotten himself into, and he cursed under his breath upon arriving to where the cries came from. Sirius winced at the sight of it all, and James had move his arm in front of Sirius to keep him from charging in an angry fit.

"Bellatrix!" Sirius snarled, glaring at her and her lacky Rodolphus, who had little Pettigrew in their clutches.

James knew that they were at a disadvantage; as long as those two had Peter, they could do nothing but watch. He was also very quick to notice their surroundings, and it didn't seem to bode well for them at all. Behind where the two Slytherins held Peter towered the Whomping Willow shrilling feverishly at the sight of someone in it's midst. The Willow probably thought that this was a perfect opportunity to smash someone. It must have been a while since someone came this close to it. Sirius was a little late in noticing the Willow, but when he realized it, he grit his teeth and glowered harshly at his cousin.

It had, indeed, been a long while since James had seen those two, and he wondered what they could have possibly done to upset them this time. He swore, the last time he had seen any inch of them was that one time when he had hexed them both and ran away. This couldn't possibly be revenge for that time, could it?

Rodolphus appeared to be clutching the collar of Peter's cloak, as though choking him, but Peter showed no sign of moving. The yellow-haired boy appeared rather pale and limp though the movement of his chest told them that he was not dead. James gave a relieved sigh and figure that the boy had merely passed out.

"What did you do to 'im!?" Sirius scathed.

"I didn't do anything, yet." She muttered, looking over her shoulder at her cousin, "This wimp of a boy, actually, _means_ something to you, Sirius? I see, now, why you were sorted into Gryffindor; you can never be a _real_ Black. You're mum was right about you, nothing but a failure to your own family. You want him back that bad, fine. Next time, tell him to stay out of our way."

With that said she smirked and gave a signal to Rodolphus to let the boy go. The two of them cautiously approached to get Peter out of enemy hands, but when they were about only a few feet away, Rodolphus gave a hearty laugh causing them to stop.

"You think Bella's _that_ forgiving?" he retorted, a sly smirk sliding across his tough face.

Bellatrix laughed in unison with him, "Do it, Rodolphus. It's not our problem if the kid dies."

James grimaced at the sound of their cackles, "Don't you dare!" he screeched.

They ignored him, and at the next moment Rodolphus quickly tossed the limp boy dangerously close to the Whomping Willow. Sirius had been utterly afraid his cousin would do such a thing, so sinister of her to do it too. Sirius quickly whipped out his wand and angrily aimed it at them; he had had enough of their stupid games.

"_Conjunctiv—_!"

James quickly took hold of Sirius's arm, "Sirius! You'd get kicked out of school if you used that one on them, and Peter's first priority!"

Sirius cursed under his breath as both Bellatrix and Rodolphus disappeared around a small hill and out of sight completely. James tugged his arm harshly in order to bring him to focus on the task at hand. Peter was in real danger, and if they didn't do something fast, Peter would be nothing but a splat on the grass, and that wouldn't be pleasant at all.

James looked up at the Willow hesitantly, hoping it wouldn't suddenly take notice that Peter was lying unconsciously there. It really was a good thing that Peter had been knocked unconscious for they both knew that if he were awake, he'd be squeaking like crazy, definitely catching the attention of the monstrous tree. The best thing they could possibly do right now, was to get Peter out of there before he wakes up or else, they'd all be doomed.

"Sirius, do you think you can pose as a distraction?" James asked, biting his lip; no other ideas seemed to hit him.

Sirius looked at James strangely, "And nearly get myself thwacked? I don't see why not!"

James smirked; Sirius was really something else. James was positive he'd have an excruciatingly hard time trying to find someone even remotely as complicated at Sirius was. The boy had a rather difficult sense of humor, not to mention a very strong sense for his close friends.

Without further ado, Sirius quickly slipped behind the Whomping Willow and into place. Everything would have been set into place if not for the fact that the Willow had insanely long branches, and Sirius had judged its length incorrectly…

"Sirius! Look out!" James shrieked, watching in horror as Sirius was swept off his feet and flew a good few meters away from where he last stood. His handsome friend groaned, a rush of pain searing across his chest as he tried to sit up. The pain was so unbearably much that he fell back on the grass again, trying to breath calmly; it felt even worse than being hit by a rogue bludger.

James couldn't just sit there though, his first thought was to run over to Sirius, but then he remembered Peter. As quickly as he could he rushed over to where his yellow-haired friend lay unconscious and tried to pull him out of harms way. Unfortunately, the Willow's reflexes were just to quick in recovering that they were going to smash James to pieces if he didn't hurry up. The Willow's large branches were about to pound him now in full force, and James still hadn't gotten them even remotely far enough away.

"Bloody _hell_!" yelled James, still pulling him, "I won't make it!"

James closed his eyes and looked toward the ground. He could feel the shadow of the large branch almost upon him — then suddenly, out of nowhere, a voice shouted.

"_Immobulus!_"

The Whomping Willow immediately became still. James took the time to pull Peter out of the way, and rest him leisurely quite a ways from the Willow before looking to see who had saved his life. He shrugged; why didn't _he_ think of using the _Immobulus_ charm to begin with? The fact that one of his friends was in grave danger must have cloud his mind when he was trying to figure out the quickest way to go about rescuing him.

"What _are_ you doing here?" asked the voice of his rescuer, a tone of anger and familiarity as he spoke.

James jerked a bit upon hearing the voice again, this time it was recognizable, and James couldn't help but feel a surge relief hearing it. Unfortunately the relief that he felt from within him suddenly turned cold as Remus approached him, arms crossed, and eying him suspiciously.

"You really have a lot of explaining to do, James."

* * *

**:: Reality strikes at the moment we least expect ::**

**_Next Chapter: Lies Among Friends_**

* * *

_Review for the sake of reviewing_

_For if not you'll make me start screwing_

_With mynails in my hair_

_My face in a stare_

_Hoping you won'tsay you'resueing._

- Poetry by me. Lame, yes, but it's one of few I can possibly write.


	22. Chapter 22: Lies Among Friends

**Kilikapele**- Yes, yes! They know(but are in complete denial about it)! haha. Anyways,I'm touched! I should be thanking you for reviewing, I'm glad you enjoyed my fanfic thus far.

**brennQT**- Yes, Stacie Orrico rocks! And yes, I agree that Bella is a bitch...lol!

**Allacaya**- That's a very good point. I really need to change that, don't I? Bellatrix is in her third year... I sorta changed it around because I want her to stay in the story longer.

**SeekerGirl17**- Thanks :D! Here's the next chapter!

**paige-rossi-black**- blush I am not a fantastic writer... but thank you very much for the compliment!

**tiggergirl12**- Seriously... those things really do rock!

**Janet Lily**- oh wow... that made me feel really bad. I'm really sorry for taking such a long time... Inspiration just wouldn't hit me xx!I've been in the Philippines for vacation, so I couldn't get a handle on writing.Well I have this next chapter up, and I'm going to FORCE myself to write the next chapter after this...Cause it's getting to the part I've been WANTING to write since the start. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

**Author's Notes**: I can probably guess that some of you might be mad at me for taking such a long time on this next chapter. Hopefuly I can make it up to you by finishing chapter 23 sooner than I had this chapter. After reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I've gotten a good lot of inspiration for writing. I've... updated this chapter to be adquately accurate for HBP, so don't be surprised if there might be a reference. They're not really big spoilers since this is a Marauder fic, but I thought I'd warn you before hand. Happy reading !

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**CHAPTER 22**

**LIES AMONG FRIENDS**

"R-Remus…"

…Was about the only thing that either James or Sirius could sputter before the silence could take hold of them. The two boys had known very well that this moment would come eventually, yet in actuality they did not know how to react when it did. This in turn left them speechless, only staring in wonder at their tired and weary friend's face longingly—as though wishing to dig up the truth hidden beneath his flesh.

Unbeknown to Remus, his best friends had nosily uncovered some rather startling information about him. Although the information came from the mouths of some very reliable sources, both James and Sirius wanted to know the truth from the prime source: Remus Lupin, himself. But that was where the problem lied, how could they possibly ask such an awkward question out of the blue as though it were a normal comment about Quidditch or homework? _If Remus were to know…_ James became troubled by the possibility that Remus would no longer want to consider them friends. Being accused falsely for being a werewolf was one thing, but actually being a werewolf and accepting those around you was perilously hard, especially for one of Remus's stature.

Clueless about the state of mind his friends were in Remus helped James to his feet and proceeded to ask the question again, this time with a bit of urgency in his voice: "Exactly _what_ are you three doing here, James?"

James opened his mouth to reply but it immediately shut before he could manage even a syllable. He could do no more than bite his lower lip and stare in agonizing guilt back at him.

Sirius, who had been flung a fair few feet away by the brute force of the willow, barely managed to limp to where they stood while agonizingly clutching his stomach as he did so. Upon reaching them, his legs began to wobble immediately telling him that he could walk no further; it was a good thing he was closer to them now for he would have fallen face first into the dirt had James not caught him.

With no sign of any further conversation about it, Remus decided a change the topic.

"It's been a while," he said with what seemed to be a forced smile, "I figure I've missed quite a bit by the look of your grand battle against the Whomping Willow. Forgive me if I interrupted you, had I known you were just testing your abilities. I—"

"Don't say that," growled Sirius, refusing eye contact. "You know very well that we _were not_ testing our abilities, or whatever, Remus."

Remus scratched his head and looked between them.

"Sorry—I can sort of guess what happened here by the look of Peter," he began, "I-I didn't mean to sound rude—James, Sirius. I was just startled by seeing you here, especially seeing you about to get smashed! You can't really blame me for being concerned…"

"Bloody hell, Remus, you're beginning to sound like me mum!" gasped James exasperatedly, but quickly caught the sight of Sirius's heated glare and added, "B-but, you're right, though—we can't blame you."

Remus laughed, "Same as always, aren't you, James?" then with a straight face asked, "It was Bellatrix and Rodolphus, right? I mean to say, well, you know… you weren't taking a stroll out to the Whomping Willow just for the sake of it being here, were you?"

Upon realizing their confused looks, Remus quickly interjected, "Uh… I mean you didn't come here by choice, right? You're not after the Willow's secrets—?"

"Oh! After the secrets—without you?" exclaimed James, a burst of realization erupting into his eyes, "Why would we do that? Course not! Not with out you, mate! Ain't that right Sirius?"

Sirius made the effort to nod, but soon gave up after feeling the pain ricochet down his leg to his ankle. He nearly slipped out of James's grasp when he bent over to clutch his ankle. Remus, in turn, also helped Sirius onto the grass beside Peter, who had been sleeping soundly as though nothing had happened.

"I tell you," stated Sirius, wincing as he massaged his foot, "that Peter's something else… Even in the face of death herself—Bella, in other words—he can still sleep like that! If I had that close of an encounter with _that _monster, I'd be lucky to pass of with a taunting nightmare… and yet he can sleep like that! Honestly, mate, I bet you anything if Hogwarts was attacked by a hoard of angry looking dementors and he was smack dab in the middle of entire thing—he could _still_ sleep soundly that very same night!"

James and Remus exchanged looks, a sense of smugness seemed to pass between them. It was as though all the worries that had been crowding in the back of their minds only minutes before had been swiped clean from their memories.

It was this sense of friendship that made James relax again.

"I—"

James stopped abruptly causing them to look at him oddly.

He quickly snuck a glance at Remus then rumpled the back of his hair as he usually did, and said, almost laughingly, "_We_ wouldn't doubt it, Sirius. Not one bit."

Aside from the slumbering Peter, the whole lot of them talked for what seemed like a lifetime beside the ever-suspended Willow. Not only did they have enough time to catch up on what happened the passed two weeks, but they also went on talking about the meals they ate and even the different class projects they had to finish. Sirius was so deeply absorbed in their conversation that he even forgot his own injury, often times sliding in several corny comments that allowed the three of them to burst into a fit of laughter without holding back. After the fourth time he did so James, who was already red in the face, was on the verge of tears. Remus also shared in the laughter, he admitted to them rather cheerfully that he had never laughed this much in his entire life. Hearing their weary friend say such a thing gave them all a good feeling, and it pushed James to continue their conversation further.

By the time they had realized how long they had been sitting there, the usual blue sky they had remembered when they last looked up had become a beautiful tapestry of color blending wonderfully into the direction of the setting sun. Remus also noted that the _Immobulous_ spell had begun to wear off since he had cast it. James and Sirius realized this also when one of the willow's branches suddenly thwacked into the ground not far from where Peter had been lying down. Luckily for them, though, Peter was a hard sleeper and he merely shifted to his other side then fell right back to sleep.

"Being the leader of you lot, I think it's time we moved away from here. Anyone up for going to the Common room?" suggested James, taking the time to push himself up off the grass and stretch. "All those for it say 'ay'!"

"Ay, I'm for it," agreed Remus, smiling.

James, as though pretending to be a captain of a ship, turned from Remus to Sirius with his chest out, so as to prove he had authority over them. Remus couldn't help but bite back his laughter at the ridiculous way James carried himself. Sirius, on the other hand, remained completely calm so as to play along with James's silly game. The look in the handsome lad's eyes showed that of a mutinous crews man on board a ship, and James, being as clever as he was, was quick to notice this.

"So?" he urged, pulling out his wand and jabbing it teasingly at Sirius's shoulder, "You coming or what what?"

Sirius grinned sinisterly, "I prefer 'what what' thanks, Captain _Jamesie_ Potter. I don't quite agree with your way of doing things."

Remus crossed his arms, "Why's tha—?"

James quickly silenced him, "You're supposed to let your captain do the talking! No speaking out of turn!" then upon seeing Remus's frown he whispered, "Com'on Remus! Play along, would you? Don't tell me you've never read books on famous Wizard pirates that traveled the world? I'd 'ave thought you've read almost every book out there! They're my absolute _faves_, I ought to let you barrow some of 'em—"

Sirius coughed loudly.

"Uh—erm…" sputtered James, trying to remember where he had left off, "Oh yeah! Why is it you're disobeying orders, Sirius, my most trusted first mate…?"

It took Sirius a little while to recover from being called 'most trusted', but somehow managed to croak, "W-well Sir, I believe we should set sail for the Great Hall for lootin'. Once we've swiped all the booty from them locals—it's about that time anyhow—we can take it for ourselves and have a feast!"

James inspected Sirius for a moment as though it were the first time he had laid eyes of him, "Greedy as always I see…"

"S-sir," mumbled Remus, attempting to play along too, "I have a suggestion."

"Let's have it then."

"Well, I was thinking, maybe, we could head—I mean—set our sights for the Great Hall, raid the place, like Sirius says, then set course for the Common Room. I'm sure we shall find leisure there, then turn in sometime later and head up to the dorms for some shut eye."

Sirius nodded in approval at his suggestion. If they had not been trying to act like a ship's crew, the suggestion would have been no more than the normal routine, but right now this wasn't the case.

"Brilliant!" exclaimed James, pretending to tip his imaginary pirate's hat to one side, "All who are in favor of this say 'ay'!"

"Ay!" shouted the two crew's men, simultaneously.

"Good, good, then we shall be off—!"

Sirius tugged at James's black cloak and asked, "What about the little one down yonder, Sir?"

James scrunched his forehead and muttered, "I don't think 'down yonder' is something a sailor says, Sirius…" he then looked over at Peter _still_ sleeping like a log, "…but you have a point, someone'll have to wake up the bloke."

"James! But you know just as well as I that it's virtually impossible to wake him up!" implored Remus, "And not to mention that, but Sirius, didn't you injure your ankle?"

Sirius blinked then looked down at his ankle, which was now the color of dark purple, almost black. He had completely forgotten about it; he had been having so much fun.

"Argh… sorry, it slipped my mind," he said with a sigh, "I can get to the Infirmary myself, you lot head for the Common Room and drop off Peter. And _don't_ give me that look James; it's just a sprain. Madam Pomfrey should be able to fix me up real quick."

Remus looked at the severe bruise then began ruffling through his right pants pocket for something. James who had been helping Sirius his feet looked around at him.

"What's up?" he asked him, as the weary boy finally pulled out what looked like a small bottle from within his pocket.

"Here, you can use this, Sirius," said Remus handing it to him, "It's a really powerful medicine that can instantly cure any sort of injury and—and heal, to an extent, cursed injuries. I got it from Professor Dumbledore during my last visit in the Infirmary… D-don't worry, I won't be needing it."

Sirius gave a nod and smiled thankfully at him while taking the medicine and inspecting the transparent, hazy green liquid inside. James seemed also quite thankful to him for being so generous, but he couldn't grasp the feeling that their weary friend would need it sooner or later. Despite his inner feelings about the situation, he said nothing; he didn't feel ready enough to ask Remus where he had gone to, or rather he didn't have the heart to at that moment.

"Wow, mate, leave it to Dumbledore to brew up this rare concoction…" murmured Sirius in a wispy-like voice. "You've got to ask how to made this! Professor Slughorn would die to see this!"

Sirius popped the cork off the top of the bottle, and sprayed a bit of it onto his bruised ankle leaving a good bit of it left. He winced slightly as the potion stung at his skin appearing to seep in through the pores to where the problem lied. Remus apologized sincerely for not warning him about the pain before hand, but Sirius just waved a hand saying that he could take the pain; it was merely kid's stuff.

James took the bottle from his mate to take a closer look at the substance within it. He also took the time to put the cork back on the top of the potion. When he was about to return the potion to Remus, the weary boy just said for him to keep it; that he may need it some day. Reluctantly, after having Remus to reject it so many times, he pocketed the potion.

After doing so, James looked curiously back at Sirius and wondered, "Slughorn? You mean our new Potions master? The one who recently came back from his so called 'important mission'?"

"That's the one," he droned, agreeing, "Though he's not really a _new _Professor. If I recall correctly, he's been here since my great-great-grandfather was headmaster here—oh look! My ankle's not black anymore!"

Sure enough, his ankle no longer looked as ugly and swelled up as it had merely seconds before. He proceeded to move his foot up and down slowly to make sure whether or not it was good enough to stand on. James and Remus helped Sirius to his feet still feeling slightly worried; both of them were ready to catch him if he lost balance. Thankfully enough, though, Sirius didn't even sway; he just stood there, both feet solidly placed on the ground.

"That's one pretty amazing potion," said James in a wonder, "you don't hurt anywhere?"

Sirius merely shook his head and took the time to hop on his previously aching leg, and found it completely normal. Remus beamed and sense of relief seemed to flutter through him; he felt that his contribution had been the right thing to do. Sirius, being as grateful as he was, even insisted that he carry young Peter on his back when James suggested they use magic to transport him to Hogwarts.

"Can't depend of magic all the time!" he shouted back at them, as he merrily bounded forward in the direction of the school with young Peter drooling against the back of his dark cloak.

Sirius dashed excitedly and quickly disappeared behind the small grassy hill ahead of them leaving his two friends behind to watch in amusement.

"You wouldn't happen to know, whether or not, if that potion has after effect of insanity, would you?" James asked the weary boy, a haughty grin spreading across his face.

Remus shrugged, "Who knows? It's Dumbledore, after all."

With that they both ran to catch up with their first mate, grinning widely as they did so.

It was at that moment that they left when the Whomping Willow was finally freed from Remus's spell, and it leisurely swung it branches about itself as though it were stretching.

Upon arriving within the cozy confines of the common room, Peter awoke suddenly. His little gray eyes appeared to be darting from side to side, utterly surprised that his surroundings were moving. He must have thought that he was being kidnapped for without any warning to anyone, especially Sirius, he began to wail at the top of his lung and flap his arms in a wild-like manner. Several of the Gryffindor students who had been at peace with themselves by the fire were all startled by the uproar, wincing at the piercing cry. By now, the lot of them had no question as to whose cry it was for they had endured this sort of thing almost every other week at one point or another. Most of the people, who could no longer stand it, groaned then got up from their seats and left the room. In the end, though, both Sirius and Peter were the only two left standing there; both James and Remus had lagged behind, still wandering through the corridors of the school.

"_Wahhh!_ Get away from me!" wailed Peter, moving around as though throwing a tantrum, "Leave me alone! If Sirius or James hears me—"

"P-Peter! I _am_ Sirius! Now would you calm down, I-I might drop you!" Sirius gasped, trying to raise his voice so it could be heard.

Despite Sirius's reasoning's, the screeching boy could not hear anything over his own high-pitched scream. He only became more violent, adding a few kicks and punches to his flailing. Several of the punches hit the spot, causing the handsome lad to teeter to one side. Sirius was really loosing his temper now, and had not James or Remus come into the room at that moment, he would have clearly head-banged Peter in the forehead. Instead, Sirius decided dropping him would be the best thing to do; it might throw some sense into him, he thought.

"Wait!" warned James, rushing toward them. "Sirius! _Don't_—!"

Unfortunately…dropping him wasn't such a bright idea after all, and James tried his best to warn him….

…But it was too late. There was an abrupt pause in Peter's scream where he realized he falling. Panicking, the boy immediately reached out to grab the closest thing to him; this being at the moment, Sirius's long, flowing black hair. The result? Well, the both of them landed with a thud on the carpeted floor beneath them, both groaning in pain.

James bent over and laughed so hard that he had to clutch his stomach to ease the pain. Sirius's face turned the color of crimson upon realizing what a fool he had just made of himself; the entire thing seemed to replay, in slow motion, over and over in his head and his best friend's laughs didn't seem to make him feel any better.

"You took quite the fall," implied Remus, trying to suppress the temptation of a grin on his face.

Sirius sat up, and grunted, "it doesn't really matter."

Peter also took the time to sit up, and he looked around at his three friends who were now sitting around him. The young chap seemed to have no recollection of what he had just done, and sat there looking innocently between them. James patted Peter on the head and smiled warmly at him.

"Oh, sure it matters!" he exclaimed, taking off his round glasses and wiping them clean with his cloak, "You should have seen your _face_!"

Sirius seemed to go an even deeper red at the mention of it, and he desperately stammered back at him, "How was I s'pose to know he'd grab my hair?"

Remus covered his mouth to hide the fact that he had also begun to chortle uncontrollably. Sirius frowned at them. He quickly forced Remus's hand away from his mouth while shouting: "there's no use hiding it 'cause you're doing one _heck_ of a job!" This, unfortunately, had the opposite effect making the weary boy laugh even more. Not to mention James also joined in the chorus of laughter. All this made the handsome chap quite flustered, turning away from them to hide his face.

Peter blinked. Staring dumbly at the lot of them. He _still_ had no idea what in all the Wizarding World was going on, and motioned to scratch his head when he noticed there appeared to be something clutched within his stubby left hand. James noticed this as well and reached out for Peter's hand, then lifted it up so that he could have a better look at the object. Sirius probably would have done well not to know what Peter was holding, but as the say goes: Curiosity surely slaughtered that blasted cat, no?

"I-Is that—?" hesitated Sirius, staring dumbfounded at the object clenched between Peter's round fingers.

Remus quickly backed away from Peter, knowing very well what was to happen next. James also quickly let go the instant he realized what it was, and backed away as far as Remus had. Sirius, unlike the rest of them, edged toward Pettigrew, eyes growing even rounder than James's spectacles. With every step he advanced toward him, Peter would crawl away, like a poor innocent rat about to get pounced on by an evil prowler. Sirius's hungry eyes seemed to gleam sinisterly down at Peter as he murmured under his breathe was sounded like _Pettigrew…_ and _start running…_

"That…_thing_…" he snarled in a soothing yet angry voice, loud enough so that everyone could hear. "Tell me, Peter. You're bright enough, aren't yeh? What is it you have clutched within your tiny grasp?"

"I—I…" cried Peter, tears forming at the corner of his eyes, "I didn't mean to…"

Sirius slammed his hand into the table beside him, "Just answer the _blasted_ question!"

Peter glanced around at Remus and James desperately for help, but alas no avail. If it wasn't Sirius, surely James would have jumped in and rationally tried to explain the situation, but he figured that this time around it would be best for Peter to try to work things out for himself—for experience purposes. The yellow-haired kid had to learn how to stick up for himself some time, so why not now? _It's not like Sirius'd hurt him,_ thought James with shrug. Remus also seemed to be on the same wavelength James was on, for he just left them alone and proceeded toward the fireplace. After some time later, James followed him and took at seat in a comfy red chair opposite of him. The two of them, although were a fair bit away, still listened to Peter's and Sirius's conversation just in case they had to jump in.

"Well?"

"Um… it's your—"

"It's my, _what_?"

Peter gulped, "Your…h-hair?"

Sirius seemed to agree with this, and he nodded, "So what are you going to _do_ with it?"

"G-give it back?" he whimpered.

Sirius seemed to have calmed down a bit since yelling; he couldn't bear to hold any grudges against Peter when it clearly had not been his fault. Also, Sirius didn't really seem to have the heart in getting mad at him…after all the boy, with his pudgy face and yellow hair, seemed a bit too innocent for him to yell at to begin with. He almost felt bad about the previous thought of head-banging him to be quiet. With a deep sigh Sirius extended his hand toward him to take back what had previously been a part of his head and waited for Peter to willingly give it back. The handsome chap figured that either he or James would easily be able to whip a charm to fix it, so there was no longer any need to be angry. He waited patiently, but Peter seemed to have something else in mind…

"Woah! H-hold on, Peter? What do you think you're doing…!"

Peter had happily whipped out his wand and pointed it Sirius's hair, "Don't worry, Sirius! I-I know what I'm doing."

Just as he said this, a blast shot out from Peter's wand straight at Sirius, not at his hair per say, but _at_ him. The boy had apparently been absent the day Professor Dippet had explained to them that aiming your wand was an important part in directing your magic. Sirius felt the full force of the charm and fell backwards again, but this time, not by force; he was just startled. Remus and James who had been sitting calmly both started upwards in awe that Peter would even _attempt_ such a thing; especially on someone like Sirius! Remus was about to dash over to make sure everything was all right, but the messy-haired boy had caught a hold of his wrist before he could rush over.

"It's all right," he snorted looking in the direction of Peter's now horrified-looking face, "Peter just used a hair-thickening charm I taught him not too long ago."

Remus stared, "Exactly _why_ did you teach him that?"

"Not quite sure myself. Peter just came up to me one day and asked me to teach him a thing o' two. T'was the only thing I could think of at the time."

Remus's laugh seemed somewhat short lived when he asked whether or not the charm was a safe one, but James quickly reassured him that the worst thing Sirius could possibly get would be longer under arm hair. They both seemed to simper at the thought of it and both sat back down in the comfy red chairs by the fire, this time though, James took a seat beside Remus rather than opposite him.

After their small moment of humor, the two of them stilled. They seemed a bit too interested in their own worlds to take notice of each other and neither of them seemed to be listening to the bantering of Sirius's voice in the far corner of the room. James laid his head against the soft cushions behind him and gave a deep sigh.

"So, what is it you want to talk with me about?" asked Remus, staring intently into the burning fire, not wanting to give eye contact.

James lifted his head and cocked it to one side in question.

The weary boy merely rubbed the back of his neck as though he knew what James was doing even without looking straight at him.

"I know you want to ask me something." Said he, sternly, "So, what is it? Despite you trying to act like yourself all the while, you don't seem quite yourself at all. You appear somewhat disturbed…"

The messy-haired boy smiled, rumpling the back of his hair nervously, "Saw through me, did you?"

"I did," replied Remus, simply.

There seemed to be brief silence that came between them. Neither of them seemed interested in speaking first, they were both waiting for at least one of them to say the first word. James worried whether or not he'd have the right thing to say or the right thing to ask so that they could converse calmly. He didn't want to have the same tension rise here as it did when they first encountered each other back at the Willow—

"FIX ME, _NOW_!" bellowed the voice of Sirius, completely cutting any train of thought from James's mind.

"I said I was sorry!" squealed the high-pitched voice that was Peter from the distance.

Sirius appeared to be covered head to toe with thick, black hair, his face no longer visible to the light of day. If not for several important reasons, James would have gotten up from where he sat and proceed to tease the hairy, black thing that was Sirius. _You've lived up to your namesake_, he thought to himself with a grin, but it immediately melted from his face when he realized that Remus was now staring at him with a sense of amusement in his sad eyes.

"Ah—Remus…" he hesitated, turning to look at the carpeted floor with interest, "Well, remember when you said, 'I don't want to lie to your more than I have to', that one time? I was wondering, you know, what you meant by that…"

James grit his teeth, looking nervously from the floor back to Remus then down to the floor again. The pressure was killing him! Was Remus going to answer his question or was he going to stand up, leave, and never want to see the likes of them again? Just thinking about it made him want to run away and hide, but he managed to stand his ground, sitting there patiently.

"James…"

_Here it comes…here it comes…_ James's mind raced; he imagined Remus uttering the words: 'don't _ever_ speak to me again' in a loud, screeching voice that would scar his soul for life. Despite what he thought on the inside, on the outside, James calmly looked back at him. He gulped, for some odd reason he felt quite sure that his best friend for more than half the year would recoil and walk separate ways.

The messy-haired boy's fantasies had been rather harsh to him, but thankfully sometimes reality would look kindly upon you just as it did for James this one time.

Remus's saddened eyes seemed to smile at him as he spoke; "That's right, I don't want to lie to you anymore than I have," he admitted, "So keeping that in mind, I feel it would be better if we just left this conversation at that. I thank you for your concern, James, you truly are a good friend."

James looked at back him, bewildered; he didn't know how to reply. Seeing this reaction, the weary boy merely patted him on the shoulder and beamed. This pat felt quite reassuring to James: it signified that their friendship was still intact, not at all wavered by curiosity.

Despite the fact that Remus had given a rather convincing reply, James just could not shake the fact that his friend had been so relaxed, so calm, about the entire thing. Had it been him that was asked, and not Remus, the messy-haired boy probably would have croaked and gotten angry, after all where did the 'trust' part of friendship go? Upon realizing this, James was astonished that the friend standing before him did not look mentally hurt in anyway. It were as though he had already thought up an answer to this particular question before hand…it was like he _knew_ that one day they would ask him that question.

_Actually,_ thought James for a brief moment, _Remus has pro'lly been asked loads of questions by professors and students, a like…as to where he disappears to all the time._ James crossed his arms and furrowed his brow; _it's only natural that we'd ask him as well, so he'd have to come up with an answer anyhow: He's been prepared this whole time…Remus...what are you trying to hide? Are you really a—?_

"James?"

He twitched at the mention of his name, and forced his mind back into reality.

"Y-yeah?" he sputtered, finding no other way to answer back.

Remus's face suddenly went pale and he proceeded at a w whisper so only James could hear; "I-I will always consider you a good friend, always, James. But—You may not…want to be friends with me…" after saying this he gripped James's shoulder tightly, making him wince slightly, "James, would you—would you abandon a friend?"

The messy-haired boy gapped at the question, staring relentlessly back at him. _Abandon a friend…_James's mind raced again. Where did that come from? That was the very last thing James had expected him to ask. No matter how many times he thought of it, James knew that that wasn't precisely what Remus wanted to ask him; 'would you abandon _me?_' was what he really wanted to say.

Remus also gazed back at him, sternly, showing no sign of joking around. Even with being the cleverest student in their year, James was still only eleven years old at heart and being confronted by such a question… at the most crucial time startled him.

"Sorry…" whispered Remus, releasing his grip from James's shoulder, "…I probably startled you, didn't I? I didn't mean ill for you, so I apologies."

Before James could interject any further, Sirius—hair and all—came stomping toward them with Peter scuttling quickly behind him. Remus, although as tired looking as always, seemed quite relieved at their arrival, there was no doubt in James's mind that their conversation had pained him harshly on the inside for it even hurt _him_ deeply.

"I-I didn't mean it, _honest_!" cried Peter, tugging on more of the black hair that dangled out from Sirius's cloak.

"_Bloody_—That _hurts_, Peter!" growled Sirius, now standing before his two gloomy-looking friends, "What's with you lot? I can understand Remus, but _you_, James? Anyhow, Peter tells me you taught him this so-called hair-thickening charm?"

James nodded in reply, staring blankly at them.

"Okay, then, would you get off your lazy bosom and _please_ FIX ME!"

They resolved Sirius's hairy situation in a heartbeat, but despite the humor of it all, James couldn't even crack a smile for them. Even when they went down to the Great Hall and had their dinner feast, the messy-haired boy, with his glasses and all, couldn't even _force_ himself to eat. Surely all of his friends were concerned about him, especially Remus, but he would merely shake his head and give another random alibi.

James Potter had never felt this bad in all his eleven years among the living. The comforting words Evans had spoke to him more than a fortnight ago seemed long gone, it were as though the special spell that sparked a bit of hope in him had finally worn away. He couldn't get to sleep that easily that night; his mind had been too busy in thought. _I could have answered him,_ he whispered to himself in the darkness of their dormitory. He had made sure that all three of his friends had fallen asleep before he lay down. It took quite a bit of convincing on James's part to tell them to quit worrying about him and by this time, it was already well passed three in the morning. Covering his head with his blanket his mind continued to torment him, _I could have said, just as I always do, 'I would never abandon you!' but… why didn't I?_ _Why couldn't I say it?_

"Why…?" was the last word that brushed through his lips before he finally fell asleep; falling into his never ending nightmare…

* * *

**: To be continued very soon :**

**_Next chapter: Forever Nightmare_**

* * *

I have no ideas for making you to review.

But just review anyway... lest you want the next chapter to come the same day as GOF the movie.

MWUAHAHAA...

I'm just kidding.


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